CANBERRA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A youth curfew has been imposed in the largest town in central Australia following a series of violent and destructive incidents.
Eva Lawler, chief minister of the Northern Territory (NT), and NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy on Wednesday announced that, effective immediately, residents of Alice Springs under the age of 18 will not be allowed out between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time for the next 14 days.
It comes in response to unrest in the town that culminated in a violent riot involving up to 150 people on Tuesday evening, sparking calls for a federal government response to crime in the region.
"The scenes yesterday in Alice Springs were horrific, unacceptable and we never want to see anything like that again in the Northern Territory," Lawler said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
"I'm fed up with this level of crime and anti-social behavior. The community has had enough and so have I."
The curfew will apply to the entire central business district (CDB) of Alice Springs and an additional 58 NT Police officers will be deployed to help enforce it.
Those who are caught breaching the curfew will be taken home or to a safe space, Lawler said.
Residents and business owners were forced to take shelter on Tuesday night as a large group of people took part in disturbances, allegedly damaging property, starting fires and engaging in violent conduct.
Five males were arrested in relation to the incidents and more than 50 weapons were seized, NT Police said.
Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson on Wednesday morning said the chaos was a national embarrassment and called for the federal government to intervene.
Lawler rejected calls for a federal response and said her government has not lost control of Alice Springs.
Murphy told reporters that some of the violence was related to the death of an 18-year-old man in a car crash earlier in March, which he said has caused family feuds.
Alice Springs is the second-largest town in the NT and largest in Australia's outback region with a population of approximately 26,000. ■
