Youth curfew announced for Alice Springs CBD amid calls for federal intervention over unrest

A two-week youth curfew will be imposed in Alice Springs following recent unrest in the town.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler will declare an "emergency situation" in the Alice Springs CBD, announcing an additional 58 police officers will be deployed to combat crime and antisocial behaviour.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Lawler acknowledged community frustration at the unrest.

"The community have had enough, and so have I," she said.

The curfew will apply between 6pm and 6am.

NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said some of the violence was related to the death of an 18-year-old man in a vehicle rollover earlier this month. 

"That's led to family feuds and that's what erupted in Alice Springs yesterday, in a couple of locations," he said.

The series of violent and destructive incidents in Alice Springs has triggered calls for a federal response to crime in the town, with some local and federal politicians saying drastic action needs to be taken to address the town's issues.

The incidents occurred after a ceremony and funeral for the teenager who died in the crash.

After the funeral, photos and videos circulating on social media showed scenes of chaos, including dozens of residents gathering outside the Todd Tavern, with some throwing bricks at the building and attempting to kick down the entrance door. 

Concerns raised over 'risky' curfew 

Principal legal officer at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, Jared Sharp, said the curfew was a "knee-jerk response".

"Young people won't even know this curfew is in force, they're just going to be doing their thing … they'll go to after-school activities, sports, part-time jobs, and if they happen to be out after 6pm … police … are going to take them home, or to a safe place," he said.

"There's so much risk involved in this and it has not been done with any evidence case or any level of community consultation."

Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said she welcomed the NT government's announcement.

"I hope this is a circuit breaker that will improve community safety," she said in a statement.

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson also said he was supportive of the curfew.

"It's certainly nothing to celebrate, however it's a welcome announcement," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Paterson described the chaos, which NT Police said involved about 150 people, as a "national embarrassment", and said he wanted the federal government to take over control of the Northern Territory.

Staff working at the Todd Tavern were shaken by the attacks on the building, according to Craig Jervis, who oversees the venue's operations.

"I haven't seen it this bad before," he said.

"The ferocity in which they were trying to get in and the willingness to damage everything [and] anything was very scary.

Five males have been arrested in relation to the incidents, police said, and more than 50 weapons have been seized.

Police officers were attacked when they responded to the incident at the pub, Acting Assistant Commissioner James Gray-Spence said.

"We had rocks thrown at our vehicle at the same time while we were restoring order as a result of our attendance," he said.

Police also said officers encountered 150 people in the Alice Springs suburb of Sadadeen, with some allegedly armed and engaging in violent conduct.

A car was allegedly set alight as well as a mattress inside a nearby premises,  before fire crews attended and extinguished the blazes.

Mr Paterson, who has previously called for federal assistance in Alice Springs, including the military, said he now wanted the federal government to take over control of the Northern Territory.

"It may sound dramatic, but I've called [for] the federal government to step in here. They need to overrule the territory government and step in because this is dangerous, it's scary," he said.

"This is not an attack on the Chief Minister [Eva Lawler], or Labor or Liberal, I don't really care. But what we've shown over the last 14 years is we are too immature as a jurisdiction to run ourselves.

"If you have a look at what happened yesterday, that is not Australia. That is a national embarrassment."

Arrernte traditional owner Doris Stuart said crime and violence in the town often involved people from communities outside of Alice Springs.

"They've got to respect the place, is the message I'll send out," she said.

Chief minister rejects calls for federal intervention

Senator and Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who is from Alice Springs, also called for a federal response following the incidents.

"Whether it's a riot squad, or the presence of ADF [Australian Defence Force personnel] on our streets for some time until the people of Alice Springs can get to a point where they feel safe," she said.

Ms Lawler has rejected calls for a federal response.

On Wednesday, NT Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro shared a letter with media addressed to Ms Lawler urging the NT government to recall parliament.

"The situation in Alice Springs continues to rapidly escalate, residents are frightened, businesses are under siege," she wrote.

In a statement, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) also said it wanted parliament to pass legislation lowering the age of criminal responsibility and changing bail laws, among other changes.

Alice Springs was cast into the national spotlight last year in the wake of surging crime and anti-social behaviour, exacerbated by the end of alcohol laws known as Stronger Futures in July 2022.

In January last year Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the town following calls for more federal support and promised a $250 million funding package to address Indigenous disadvantage in the region.