2 months ago
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A large group of teenagers clashed with police at a popular beach in Melbourne’s bayside after causing chaos in a nearby supermarket.
Video shared on social media showed dozens of teenagers flooding into Mordialloc Woolworths about 3pm before they tore items off the shelves and flung them down the aisles.
Staff and shoppers were massively outnumbered, and the store eventually went into lockdown shortly after 4pm.
The group then moved to Mordialloc beach, and riot police were called in to disperse the crowd.
Video shows officers at the beach were surrounded by a large group of teenagers, who were throwing items at police, while filming and gesturing at the officers. In one video, a police officer deployed OC spray and slammed a teenager to the ground.
Police said there were no injuries reported and no weapons detected.
“Police received reports of a brawl at a Mordialloc supermarket shortly after 3pm on 17 December,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said on Wednesday evening.
“Officers quickly responded and located a large group of people who had left the shopping centre and moved to the Mordialloc Pier.
“Police are working to disperse the hostile crowd, who were throwing items at members.” The group of teenagers have since dispersed.
No Woolworths staff or customers were injured during the incident at the supermarket.
A Woolworths spokesperson said: “We thank our store leaders for their diligent work prioritising the safety of our team members and customers.
“This is another example of why we’ve been advocating for additional measures to protect our frontline team members.”
More than 20 officers in riot gear rushed to Mordialloc beach.Credit: Nine News
Crime statistics released in September revealed Victorian retail workers were dealing with a crime every five minutes.
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Retailers have been advocating for a dedicated police taskforce and streamlined online reporting. Workplace protection orders, which bar repeat offenders from stores, have been rolled out in the ACT, with a 99.6 per cent success rate at Woolworths supermarkets.
Kingston City Council has been contacted for comment.
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