Terrified Shoppers

Shops, cinema close after youth brawl
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
October 14, 2007 12:00am

The paper adds that police came under seige having used capsicum spray to fend off dozens of attackers and formed a human chain to protect shoppers. A senior police officer described the 2 waves of brawls as ‘fearful.’

BRAWLS involving up to 200 Sudanese youths forced a cinema and shops to close yesterday afternoon.

Police sent officers from eight stations across Melbourne's west to deal with the brawls near Hoyts Cinemas at Highpoint Shopping Centre.

The shutters at the entrance to the cinema and nearby Street's ice cream shop were closed after an ugly scene erupted at about 5pm.

Earlier there were reports of eggs being thrown from the roof of the complex. Eyewitnesses said the youths fought battles for more than an hour.

"We were scared out of our minds. We had to close the shop," said Brogan Duymdman.

"It was really frightening, We thought they were going to attack us," said colleague Kerry Skinner.

Michael Scrofani, 22, of Oak Park, heard screams coming from near the cinema entrance and started filming on his phone.

The brawl came as a Sudanese leader criticised police for being too soft on African gangs. Acting Sgt Fiona Wates said ‘ As we made those arrests the youths rushed us in the corridor. We had to use force to push them back.’

"We thought somebody had a gun -- that's what it seemed like," he said. "It was terrible."

More than 70 people were reported involved in one scuffle near the cinema foyer. The crowd included teenage boys and women they said appeared to be their mothers, the witness said.

A man in his 60s was taken to Western Hospital. in Footscray suffering from breathing problems.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/

Highpoint Shopping Center is a huge complex and located in Melbourne's inner West.

The Maribyrnong immigration detention centre is close by.