PETER CAVE: Perth is counting the cost of Australia Day celebrations marred by an extraordinary level of violence and drunkenness.
Police admit that they were taken by surprise as the day's festivities on the Swan foreshore degenerated into a series of brawls, one of them involving hundreds of people.
A ban on alcohol failed to have the desired effect, and the State Government is now considering how to give stronger powers to the police.
Our Perth reporter David Weber was there for some of the mayhem.
(sound of fireworks exploding)
DAVID WEBER: It's estimated there were 300,000 people on the shores of the Swan River, the vast majority had most likely enjoyed a day of barbecues and picnics, beer and catching up with friends and family, fuelled with a heavy dose of patriotism.
Most agreed, the immense fireworks display was the best ever.
But a different kind of fireworks was to follow.
(sound of shouting)
This reporter saw chaos. Groups of young men chased each other down the streets bent on violence. Louts leaned out of a car and randomly abused a woman sitting outside a hotel.
Teenagers draped Australian flags over their shoulders and stumbled around yelling out the Aussie chant.
Then they ran down the middle of the road, dodging vehicles with drivers who were at the end of their tether, the roadblocks were forcing them to drive in circles.
For St John Ambulance, it was the busiest Sky Show ever, there over 300 patients on the foreshore.
Last year, there were only 14 ambulance trips, but last night more than 50 people were taken to hospital.
Spokesman Jeffrey Williams.
JEFFREY WILLIAMS: A large proportion of the incidences last night, and I can't give you a percentage, but I'll just say a large proportion of them, were either as a result of alcohol and/ or assaults – either the person being injured was affected by alcohol or the person assaulting the person was affected by alcohol.
(sound of shouting)
DAVID WEBER: There was a brawl between two groups on the southern foreshore. Police say it involved hundreds of people and it took more than an hour to bring under control. Bottles were used as weapons.
You were allowed to drink if you were in an official tent. For the others, there was an alcohol ban, there were more than 700 cautions and around 60 infringements.
The Acting Premier Eric Ripper says it was minority who've ruined Perth's image.
He says the Sky Show is becoming more and more popular increasing numbers of people are spending long Australia Days in the sun.
ERIC RIPPER: There are more risks, and therefore it's more worthwhile for everyone concerned to review the organisation and to learn the lessons from this year.
We simply can not tolerate families out for a beautiful family event, having their event ruined by drunken thugs, and we're going to back the police in making sure that so far as possible that doesn't happen.
DAVID WEBER: A special police squad targeting anti-social behaviour was called out for the first time last night. Two officers were injured after the fireworks display ended.
Talkback callers to the ABC today expressed indignation and embarrassment. One man talked of seeing people urinating in full view in Perth's main streets.
TALKBACK CALLER 1: Young people were coming off the trains and a lot of them were sloshed before they even got there. It's the first time I've seen urinating on the street, just out in full view.
TALKBACK CALLER 2: They're ratbags so if they can't behave themselves you don't have one.
TALKBACK CALLER 4: It was a very unpleasant situation, there were a lot of people there drinking.
TALKBACK CALLER 5: And it was really the people that weren't sitting down watching the fireworks that were causing the trouble. Before the fireworks we got… we nearly got in the middle of a fight, but that's the only fight I saw.
here
gnarly. it gets worse every year. and it's coming up on beer'o'clock now..
