By Ewen McRae
Police are continuing to investigate an incident in Taylors Hill last week involving up to 150 youths at a local park.
Police on Monday said that no arrests had been made. Police were forced to don riot gear and residents told to stay inside and lock their doors during the incident on the basketball courts and nearby parkland at Bronte Way on Wednesday night.
Rocks were pelted at a police car during the incident. On Thursday, mounted police patrolled the streets to reassure residents of their safety.
Police last week said the youths had gathered “to fight” and that there was “a cohort” in the group known to officers.
Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton told ABC Melbourne that about 20 to 30 Sudanese Australians were involved in the fight which he understood was over girlfriends, with the rest of the crowd made up of spectators.
“It was kids from our Australian Sudanese (community) coming from the southern suburbs to meet up with kids from the northern suburbs to have a bit of clash there … about girlfriends or something like that,” he said.
Cass, who lives near the site of the incident, said it was scary.
“It was scary, it felt like the Bronx,” she said. “There was at least 150 people and it seemed to be growing. Police were here very quickly, but they were horribly outnumbered.
“It’s nice to see police around today still, but I’m still a bit shook up because it was way too close for comfort. I was worried about my kids.”
Another resident, Lucy, said the gathering was unusual for the area.
“Apart from throwing the rocks at the cop car it was OK, but you think in the back of your mind if something happens there were more of them than the police,” she said.
“They were typical teenagers. Just bored and doing stupid things.”
