New riots follow arrests: [3 All-round Metro Edition]
Annabelle McDonald, John Stapleton, Additional reporting: Elizabeth Gosch. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T.[Canberra, A.C.T] 01 Mar 2005: 1.
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Abstract
GANGS of youths from notorious housing estates across Sydney converged on the far-southwestern suburb of Macquarie Fields last night for the fourth consecutive night of rioting and violence.
Many of the rioters want revenge for the deaths and some spent the day on the estate preparing petrol bombs for the battle. Police Commissioner Ken Moroney and Premier Bob Carr warned violence would not be tolerated.
Mr Moroney rejected locals' suggestions the police car involved in the chase rammed the stolen car during the pursuit. Mr Moroney said the slogans, including "cops kill kids", were the worst he had ever seen.
GANGS of youths from notorious housing estates across Sydney converged onthefar-southwestern suburb of Macquarie Fields last night forthefourth consecutive night of rioting and violence.
Youths from Redfern and Bankstown boosted the numbers of protesters to about 300 as they threw bottles and molotov cocktails in a standoff with 150 riot police.
The violence was against a backdrop of graffiti, with the slogans "Police will die" and "We will kill you dogs", as police helicopters hovered overhead.
The anger was fuelled by police raids earlier in the day that involved a number of homes being searched for the gang leaders.
Late last night 15 people had been arrested. Several officers had also received death threats.
They violence erupted on Friday over the deaths of Dylan Rayward, 17, and Matthew Robertson, 19, who were passengers in a stolen car that overturned during a police chase and hit a tree.
The driver of the car fled the scene, but he turned up at a police station the next day, as part of his bail conditions in regards to another matter. He was allowed to leave and it took investigators another day to identify him as a suspect.
Many oftherioters want revenge forthedeaths and some spenttheday ontheestate preparing petrol bombs forthebattle. Police Commissioner Ken Moroney and Premier Bob Carr warned violence would not be tolerated.
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(Note: continuation is as it appears in the newspaper)
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his best friends die, and has fled Sydney.
Eucalyptus Drive, where the two youths died, cuts a circular path through the depressed estate and is regularly used as a drag racing strip for youths in stolen cars fleeing police.
Riot police blocked off the street shortly after 5pm yesterday and began searching the bags of people trying to enter.
Since the boys' deaths, violence has escalated nightly, with 150 youths battling police on different parts of the estate on Sunday night, injuring three police as they pelted them with bricks. Two men in their twenties required treatment for dog bites. A 13-year- old boy detained by police was released into the custody of his mother yesterday.
Mother of three members of the so-called "Kelly gang", Debbie Kelly, 39, said she expected further violence. "Two of my sons, Thomas and Gary, are willing to give their lives for this. I am horrified I am going to lose my boys over this, but there is nothing I can say to them. The boys want revenge. They want satisfaction. The boys just need someone to trust them, someone who doesn't call them scum. The police treat them like dirt."
Mr Carr vowed to crack down on the rioters, saying television footage would be used to identify trouble-makers.
"There are no excuses for this kind of behaviour and the police have the Government's total support. I regret any view that a police pursuit provides justification of riotous behaviour."
Mr Moroney rejected locals' suggestionsthepolice car involved inthechase rammedthestolen car duringthepursuit. Mr Moroney saidtheslogans, including "cops kill kids", weretheworst he had ever seen.
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