Australian town under curfew following rise in youth mob violence

The Australian town of Alice Springs has been placed under a youth curfew following an outbreak of violence. For the next two weeks, under-18s must remain at home between 6pm and 6am, while additional police will be deployed to Alice Springs to help maintain order. The sudden spike in mob violence is thought to have been caused in part by the death of a young man in an allegedly stolen car earlier this month. The incident has angered many, leading to gangs of angry youths fighting in the streets, damaging property and attacking buildings. One video shared by a member of the public shows a gang attempting to smash their way into a pub, where people had gathered for safety. Residents are now calling on Australian PM Anthony Albanese to bring the area under federal control, a sentiment echoed by some local officials. ‘It may sound dramatic, but I’ve called on the federal government to step in here. They need to overrule the territory government and step in because this is dangerous, it’s scary,’ said Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson.