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Police under fire over brawl response
October 12, 2006 11:46am
POLICE have been criticised over the use of capsicum spray after a series of wild brawls broke out in Sydney at an under-18s dance party.
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon has called for NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney to investigate the use of capsicum spray, which she said should not be used for a crowd control measure.
"It is completely inappropriate to use capsicum spray on people under 18 years," Ms Rhiannon has said.
"The NSW police clearly overreacted and young people may have been harmed.
"Capsicum spray should never be used in situations where lethal force is not justified."
More than 3000 young partygoers were forced out into the street after the After Dark Under 18s party was shut down at The Roundhouse at the University of NSW Kensington campus in Sydney's east last night.
Witnesses said several fights broke out between rival groups inside the venue, and police shut the event down the event - just 80 minutes after it started.
The teenagers were moved outside to Anzac Parade, where officers attempted to move youths from the area using buses and taxis.
Manager of the University of NSW Roundhouse, Shelley Valentine, has said police were forced to use capsicum spray to quieten the crowd outside the venue because there were "so many warring parties ... that it got out of hand".
She has said the fracas had resembled a rolling punch up.
NSW police have confirmed capsicum spray was used, but have said no one was seriously injured during the incident.
Partygoer Melissa, 17, said the fights involved several rival gangs from Sydney's southern and eastern suburbs.
"It started in one corner then there were fights here, and fights and fights and fights," she said outside the party.
"It just started with one and then everybody just started hitting each other."
Ms Valentine said the organisers' own security operators had moved the people fighting to outside the Roundhouse venue when the brawling broke out about 8.30pm, and then worked with police to contain the brawls.
"We took our security out into Anzac Parade as well and worked with police in order to disperse them," she has said on Southern Cross Broadcasting.
"Police basically took it from there when we took them (the brawling people) outside the venue."
She said organisers had been prepared to continue the dance party following the brawl, but had been told by police to close the doors. |
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