Parents urged to dob their kids into police after teens storm Woolworths
Updated ,first published
Teenagers fought for the second time in two days on Mordialloc beach after police pressured parents into touching their children after a “pack of marauding brats” raided a supermarket before brawling on the beach on Wednesday.
Video on social media showed a large group of teenagers fighting at Mordialloc beach around 5.30pm on Thursday, a day after a group of 150 people clashed with police on the same beach.
A police spokesman said: “Police were called to High Street in Mordialloc at around 5pm following reports of a large group of youths in the area. A number of units attended and most of the crowd moved away.”
“At around 17.30 in the evening, police received a report that two people had been attacked near Mordialloc Pier. Police quickly arrived at the scene and re-dispersed the crowd.
“Officers spoke to two men who did not want police involved. Officers are still patrolling Mordialloc and the surrounding area.”
On Wednesday afternoon a large group of teenagers gathered on the beach at around 3pm, then attacked a nearby Woolworths, knocking over shelves, throwing products, stealing and mistreating staff and customers.
The group left the supermarket and a violent fight broke out between the youths on the beach.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill described the supermarket attack as horrific and appealed to the teenagers’ parents to report them to Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000) before officers knock on their door.
Police believe the group, aged between 14 and 17, may have organized a meeting via TikTok on Wednesday afternoon despite a national social media ban for Australians under 16 from last week.
“Yesterday afternoon was a horrific incident for retail workers at the Woolworths store, as well as for mums, dads and children who were also there, potentially doing their Christmas shopping,” Hill said.
“We had 150 looting teenagers, a pack of brats, if you will, going into that store… damaging items in the store, stealing items in the store. Within that limit, I understand harassing people.”
When the group started fighting on the beach, police were called to disperse them.
Hill said when police arrived, some youths attacked officers, pelting them with water bottles and forcing police to use capsicum spray to quell what he described as “riotous behavior.” The video shows an officer slamming at least one teenager to the ground.
A 15-year-old boy from the Greater Dandenong area was arrested but later released pending further investigation.
A police spokesman said three other men were interviewed at the scene and released. No injuries were reported.
Hill vowed that police will not stop until they find every teenager involved.
“Mark my words – every juvenile offender observed on CCTV, social media or on our body-worn camera will be spoken to by Victoria Police.”
“You would be better off proactively contacting the police rather than waiting for us to come knocking on your door in about two or three weeks, if not sooner,” he said.
He said initial investigations showed the youths were coming from the local area, including surrounding suburbs such as Bentleigh and Black Rock, and that officers should quickly deploy riot and water police as well as the air wing.
“Frankly, we have better things to do than take on 150 young people causing mayhem on the beach,” he said.
Michael Donovan, general secretary of the retail workers union, said no worker should fear for their safety while doing their job.
“What our members experienced at Woolworths Mordialloc yesterday was heartbreaking and completely unacceptable. The SDA condemns this behavior in the strongest terms and stands with every worker affected.”
A separate fight broke out at St Kilda pier on Thursday.
Police said they were called to the pier at 1pm on Thursday following reports that a man had been attacked by “at least two males”.
In a video on social media, a man in a pink polo shirt and long pants can be seen holding his mouth and being followed by a pack of excited teenagers. When the man starts running, the group chases him and he is allegedly attacked.
“It is believed that a man was approached by at least two male criminals on Pier Road and an argument ensued before the man was attacked and his phone stolen and thrown into the sea at around 1pm,” police said.
“There were many people watching and following the attack, and the attackers fled the scene before police arrived.
“The male victim was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. No arrests have been made and investigators would like to speak with any witnesses.”
Marc, who did not want to give his surname, described the St Kilda Pier incident as a “swarm of bees” and said it wasn’t long before he heard police sirens in the distance.
Marc said he saw a man being chased towards the pier before the argument started. He estimated about 150 people attended.
“They were all filming and taking photos on their phones…it will be on social media soon,” he said.
It is not yet clear what triggered the alleged attack.
Police said additional officers will be patrolling Mordialloc and surrounding areas in the coming days.
Despite the social media ban that came into force last week, young people on social media apps such as TikTok shared videos of the Mordialloc incident and boasted about the number of police called to intervene in the chaos.
In the comments on the videos, many young people refer to each other as “legends” or claim that they triggered the riot.
The footage also shows young people wandering around with spoiled products and products strewn on the floor in the supermarket’s aisles, liquids spilled on the floor near the cash registers, and other products they took from the shelves.
Melburnians, many of them young, flocked to Mordialloc Beach on Thursday, the hottest day of this summer so far.
Many had seen the videos circulating on social media following Wednesday’s events.
Friends Bella and Allegra, who live close to Mordialloc Beach and visit it frequently, said they had never seen anything like it before.
“This is really random. And I really don’t understand,” Allegra said. “I feel good to be here. Frankly, this happened yesterday, but I don’t really care,” he said.
Parsa, Imogen and Theo, who have just finished grade 11, traveled more than an hour and a half by bus to visit the beach.
Theo said he noticed more police patrolling the beach and surrounding area today.
“[The video] “It was pretty bad… but everything is better now,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Angus Delaney is a reporter for The Age. Email him at angus.delaney@theage.com.au or contact him securely on Signal at Angusdelaney.31.Connect via email.
