A group of armed men allegedly attacked police with rocks, window louvres, bows and arrows and metal bars in the remote Northern Territory town of Wadeye – often referred to as Australia’s Wild West.
Officers were confronted by the group at about 5.30pm on Sunday, many of who were allegedly using surrounding bushland to hide their approach.
‘Police repeatedly attempted to disperse the group, warning that force may be used if they continued to advance. Those directions were ignored,’ an NT Police statement read.
‘The group continued to move towards police while armed and throwing projectiles, requiring police to deploy tactical options to disperse the crowd and prevent them from advancing further towards residential properties.’
One person allegedly fired an arrow from a compound bow at officers, which struck a police vehicle.
Several police vehicles were damaged, but no injuries were reported.
Wadeye is one of the Northern Territory’s largest Aboriginal communities and has been plagued by outbreaks of violence between rival Aboriginal clans for decades.
The remote township has witnessed pitched battles after dark, with rival gang members roaming the streets and homes and vehicles being set alight.
Armed with axes, arrows and a cross-bow, young men are seen posing in the streets of Wadeye (not the men involved in the latest incident)
Groups armed with axes, hammers, iron bars and machetes have also taken to the streets searching for rivals in recent years.
Wadeye was originally developed to bring Aboriginal people from the surrounding region together in one township, giving residents greater access to modern services and facilities.
But its population has dramatically increased in recent years, placing increasing pressure on housing and infrastructure.
The township is now home to 22 different clans, with several languages spoken and often 10 or more people living under one roof.
Some residents have called for blocks of land outside Wadeye to allow families to establish separate clan homelands on their traditional country.
The community is located in Australia’s second-most disadvantaged region, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
A 2019 survey highlighted the scale of Wadeye’s housing crisis, finding 57 of its 400 homes were severely overcrowded, with some housing more than 20 people.
