Beachgoers – including families with young children – watched in horror as violence erupted among hundreds of youths on the foreshore of Adelaide’s premier beach on Sunday.
The ugly scenes came on the first weekend new police powers were invoked to handle anti-social behaviour in the popular tourist destination.
A 15-year-old boy from Marino was arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour after police were called to Glenelg beach at 3.52pm on Sunday after reports of a fight involving a “large group” of youths.
The boy was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Youth Court in December.
Shocked witnesses, including families enjoying the warm weather, reported more than 200 youths were involved.
Authorities have already escalated a beach operation to crackdown on anti-social behaviour while the state government last week approved more police powers.
Such was concerns at the scale of the violence, additional police were called to help co-ordinate the response.
A police spokesman warned officers would take a zero tolerance approach to public fighting.
Dozens of teens, mostly boys, were crowded on the beach near the jetty watching a game of “run it straight” before the police approached the group, witnesses said.
This trend is based on a bizarre social media craze, in which one person is given a ball and another tries to tackle them to the ground.
Video shows officers trying to keep youths under control on the sands adjacent the jetty and popular volleyball courts.
No injuries have been immediately reported.
Police said no officers were injured after a rugby ball was thrown at a female officer.
A large police presence was visible after the brawl including mounted operations officers.
Police have also shut Glenelg Jetty.
Officers from the beach operation were the first to respond to the fight, which is the second major violent incident to hit Adelaide’s top beach in the past few weeks
The brawl, which elicited a major police response including more than a dozen patrols, comes three days after officers were granted more powers in the Glenelg Entertainment District.
It is understood no weapons have been seized at this stage.
Oliver Rebers, 18, of Dover Gardens, said he was involved in the game when police ordered the crowd to disperse.
“Everyone dispersed but some kids asked them (the police) questions,” he said.
“One kid threw a ball at them. (Another) kid kept saying ‘taser me’ (to the police).”
Matt Whittington, 34, of Modbury, watched the drama unfold.
“They (the crowd of teens) were cheering and chanting,” he said.
“They looked like they were fighting.”
He said after the group were told to disperse, “within 60 seconds they all came back and swarmed the police officers and they were being antagonistic”.
“These kids were screaming at the police officers,” he said.
“Then another (police) car rocked up and they were more forcibly trying to split up the crowd.
“It looked like one boy was chosen by the police and they were walking him to the car and the crowd followed.” He said crowds then chanted a kids’ name to “free” him.
The brawl, at the end of the Glenelg jetty, comes weeks after a similar fight at nearby Henley Beach. Another fight was also reported at Glenelg.
A police spokesman said on Sunday night: “Police would like to advise the public that there is no tolerance of bad behaviour by members of the public.
“Police will be taking a proactive approach and taking positive action against those who behave in a disorderly manner in public.”
On Thursday, police announced the Glenelg Entertainment District had been deemed a declared public precinct (DPP).
Attorney-General Kyam Maher approved the DPP, from Friday, which allows police to undertake metal detector searches to find weapons, drug searches and “may order a person or group posing risk to the public to leave the area”.
Following recent beach pandemonium, police announced increased patrols on the western foreshore between Largs Bay and Glenelg.
Operation Jericho will involve larger numbers of police officers on the western foreshore between Largs Bay and Glenelg focusing on anti-social behaviour.
Amid concerns at police response to previous fights, a force spokesman said on Sunday night: “A patrol from Operation Jericho was on scene about four minutes after the initial call for police attendance.”
It was fast-tracked from the end of October after the recent brawls and will operate until April 2027 next year.
Senior police came under fire after the violent Henley Beach fight on Adelaide’s hottest September day in decades, after patrols took eight minutes to respond – despite the nearest station being just a two-minute walk away.
Premier Peter Malinauskas has warned violence was “completely unacceptable” in our society.
Anyone who witnesses disorderly behaviour is urged to call the Police Assistance Line immediately on 131444.