renth

Sir James Mitchell Park is where we went last year and I witnessed a lot of antisocial behaviour but the riot was in South Perth. This year it played host to the annual riot.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...1/s1289829.htm

Australia Day Skyshow ends in brawls

Ambulance officers and police have been kept busy treating hundreds of people and making dozens of arrests in the hours after last night's Australia Day Skyshow in Perth.

Police say while most of the 350,000 strong crowd were well behaved during the event, it was a different story as the show came to an end.

Mounted police and officers carrying shields had to disperse a large group of people involved in a violent brawl in Sir James Mitchell Park on South Perth's foreshore.

Police were also called in to disperse about 200 people fighting in Russell Square in Northbridge.

A man was stabbed in the stomach at a bus transfer station at Victoria Park, while another was taken to hospital in a critical condition with a severed artery after he punched a bus window in Como.

However the assistant police commissioner Wayne Gregson says while more than 30 people were arrested, there was no repeat of the violence that marred last year's event.

"By in large a very good general feeling in the crowd, it turned out to be a family event, [but] we still had a few problems with young people who were intoxicated," he said.

St John's Ambulance officers treated hundreds of people for a range of injuries, mostly as a result of brawls.

Spokeswoman Natalie Peck says the injuries were not as serious as those at last year's Skyshow.

"Head injuries... that's probably been some of our most serious," Ms Peck said.

"Apart from that some asthma attacks, we've had people doing general things like falling over hurting themselves, particularly related to people who may have over indulged."

sharkbait

However the assistant police commissioner Wayne Gregson says while more than 30 people were arrested, there was no repeat of the violence that marred last year's event.


Spokeswoman Natalie Peck says the injuries were not as serious as those at last year's Skyshow.

last year's must have been fun, then !

Simone

Hmmmm

Glad we went to King's park, and just went home at 9!

Larissa

We went down on the train about 4.00pm and found a good spot down on the esplanade, where the kids could paddle in the river. They really enjoyed the air display (we have a "transport obsessed" 2 year old) and the fireworks were brill; people tuned their radios into the same station which carried the music to accompany the fire works and the mix of tunes and fireworks was great. Being a first-time-to-Aus pom, it was weird to be a part of it all as the Aussie's were so chuffed (proud not really being the right word as it's more a humourous and camoraderie (sp?) thing) with being Aussies... plus there was the flag waving and chants of "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi!". I can't imagine anything like this in the Uk. The music was interspersed with commentaries from famous Aussies on what it was like to be an Aussie, some were quite inspirational, others made me want to reach for the sick bag
I'm happy we went to the Skyworks but glad we went fairly early. It took a while to get the kids organised, but on our way back to the trainstation we could tell that there were people looking for a fight. The majority of people seemed quite merry, but I spent an uncomfortable 10 minutes separated from hubby, with our 7 year old daughter, behind a group of troublemakers at the trainstation. Other mums also looked anxious... it's a shame it only takes a few to cause hassle. I'm not suprised to read Renth's post and see that there was trouble in South Perth; Hubby's comments on reading this was that he thought the police were probably playing it down after last year, as they would want to be seen to be having things under control this time.
<Ahhhh, so that's why they had helicopters over there with searchlights>

Simone

Yeahhh! Saw that too!

And during the fireworks there were at least 10 helicopters(and planes?) circling the area (the whole area, without search lights)


Glad you found a good spot down there!!


Apparently the south perth foreshore was littered with rubbish and glass this morning, and the council were cleaning up. King's Park wasn't that messy, rubbish bags for everyone, and big bin things everywhere. Around the toilets was a bit messy though, and the water ran out at the end of the evening(portable toilets), so they didn't flush

Siren & Brian

So 349,800 people behaved and had a good time, 200 dickheads. Why are people so obsessed with the negatives.

Merlot

Not wanting to start a war but in having two sides to a coin and after reading another post on what a great night out the event was, I would say this keeps the balance. Everyone seeing with different eyes, the good and not so good of Australian life. Either take it or ignore it.

M

Merlot

Those moving over will discover what passionate flag wavers the Australians are, love it or hate it!

Siren & Brian

How is it balanced. There were 200 idiots and 349,800 people behaving like normal human beings and having fun. So how is one post positive and one negative balanced???

Merlot

Sorry I mislead you with my terminology, the word should have been threads, not posts

These are the positives

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...light=skyworks

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...light=skyworks

This thread is the other side of the evening. Good and bad highlighted.

Merlot

renth

There were more than 200 idiots, where did you pull that figure from, your arse?

So you didn't see any trouble, good for you. I'm very pleased for you.

The behaviour of the (large) minority - bottle throwing, fighting, public urination, appaling language, abusive bebehaviour means that if you go to Skyworks you are always taking a chance you'll be affected.

It's fine if it's just a group of adults but I still strongly maintain Skyworks is not a place to take young children.

Simone

Not the SOuth Perth foreshore anyway!!

Geez, I saw it on the news last night, and it looked and sounded much worse than I'd heard on the radio and on here!!

There were families having picnics, and a few metres along were teenagers urinating on the grass!!

And a 10 yo was hit in the head with bottle.
etc etc etc

No probs in King's Park though, luckily! (oh except some kids, and not so young kids(geez, he's 26!!) skateboarding down hills )

Go Banana's !!

How do you know if you never went?

I don't deny there was trouble on the South Foreshore, but that's a hell of a sweeping statement. There where many locations around Perth that had no trouble and would be great to take the children to.

What about a river trip or up high in a restaurant?

And BTW Brian does not talk out of his arse as you so pleasantly put it. He's an Aussie and lived here all his life, so I think his comments have some relevance

Jill

renth

I went last year. And randomly quoting figures IS talking out of your arse.

jad n rich

Wont comment on perth, dont live there but I will say this, it wont ever worry me reading about crime and negatives in OZ.

About 2 weeks ago I was walking about in safe old happy brisbane to a girls night out, planning to do the journey home in a taxi. Thanks to expats on this site I found out a bloke had been stabbed the previous weekend at the taxi rank I was later planning to use.

Like much crime in OZ I hadnt heard about it, its not like the UK where everything hits page 1 of the SUN, its often kept low key. Very hush hush but it does not mean it does not go on.