Brawls At Opening Of Discotheque

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32166, 9 December 1969, Page 19

Brawls At Opening Of Discotheque

(New Zealand Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, December 7. The opening of the first discotheque in Palmerston North developed into a brawl on Friday night.

And at Fahiatua a police constable was attacked by three motor-cyclists outside a hotel. He was rushed to Palmerston North Hospital with internal injuries. His condition is now satisfactory. There were ugly scenes as scores of drunken teen-agers stormed outnumbered police in a screaming, kicking, punching, bottle-throwing mob at the “Clockwork Orange” discotheque. The police arrested 10 youths aged between 16 and 19 on charges of assault, resisting arrest, disorderly behaviour, obscene language, and drunkenness.

The violent element formed about a quarter of the 200 people in the discotheque. Many were openly drinking beer from flagons and bottles they had apparently concealed in bags to escape detection. The brawling began about ! 10.40 p.m. when a sergeant 'and constable entered to armrest a youth who had allegi edly assaulted another person in the lavatories.

A dozen youths dragged one constable to the floor and began punching and kicking him. One youth struck out with a beer bottle. During the next frenzied 10 minutes police numbers swelled to 12 and more bottles appeared. One youth was seen to run across the hall to kick a constable who had been deliberately tripped while carrying off a struggling teen-ager. The police left about 10.50 p,m. after making several arrests, but were recalled

three times before ordering the place closed at 11.30 p.m. More arrests were made in the street when a large crowd of youths refused to leave the area, and still more when the mob converged on the scene of a nearby motor accident.