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Tuesday 31 January 2023

Glenelg Riot – January 1984 – part two.

 Glenelg Riot 

– January 1984 – part two.

 

On Tuesday, January 24, 1984, just two days after the Glenelg riots, thieves broke into the explosives magazine of Quarry’s Industries ltd at Hillbank, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Using oxy-acetylene equipment, they cut through the hinges and padlocks on the building between 5pm and 8pm that evening.
The thieves stole four cases of gelignite, around 64 sticks of the volatile explosive, and detonators.
Elizabeth CIB attended the scene and found a handwritten note which read, "Thank you, now watch out cops at Glenelg."
A direct threat to the police station and star force officers that attended the riots on January 22nd.[1]

Rioters overturning a car at Glenelg in 1984.





researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2023

[1] 'Gelignite thieves' threat taken seriously by police', The Canberra Times, (26 January 1984), p. 6. 

Tuesday 24 January 2023

Glenelg Riot – January 1984 – part one.

 Glenelg Riot 

– January 1984 – part one.

 


On January 22, 1984, bands, Pseudo Echo and Sandy and the Sunsets were scheduled to play at Colley Reserve, Glenelg. It was a hot day, 15000 people descended on the reserve for the free concert sponsored by radio station SA: FM.

 The crows were reasonably well-behaved until, as reported in the Canberra Times, the police started making arrests. At around 6pm, the mood in the crowd changed and chants of “Kill the pigs” and “kill the coppers” began as the restless crowd surged towards the police.[1]

 The police reported that 200 or so people began charging the police at Colley Reserve, throwing beer bottles at them, and screaming abuse. Cars were damaged in a side street, and a group of police officers were besieged, locked inside the Glenelg police station.[2] A local senior citizens centre had 23 windows smashed. Two police officers were treated for head wounds. Sixty-three people were charged with offences ranging from drunkenness and assault to malicious damage.

The New South Wales newspaper Tribune, reported on the riot, interviewing eyewitnesses to the event. One witness, Stephanie Columbus stated about the riots, “The first thing to emphasise is that no trouble occurred until the concert was finished, and most of the 15, 000 people had left the area. The concert was very relaxed. It is true that lots of booze was being drunk.”[3]


Columbus and another witness, Carol Jacobson claimed that a few young men had been having an ice fight, throwing ice and water at each other. Some hit a police officer, who, with three other officers, grabbed one of the men and slammed his head into the bonnet of a car four times in front of the crowd. This claimed the witnesses were the trigger for the riot. The crowd started pelting the offending officers with bottles. The police arrested another young man, again being brutal in the arrest, and sending the crowd into a further uproar.

 Stephanie then claimed that,

From then on it was a situation of the police imposing their power and authority at will. There could be no talking to them, to them everybody was the enemy.
  For instance, a police officer and his dog passed by an onlooker who seemed to unthinkingly stroke the dog. The officer immediately kicked him in the shins and gave him a karate chop to the throat. When I protested about someone else being forced to move on, a policeman said: 'You shut up, slut, or you'll be arrested next.[4]

 

 It is claimed that during the riot, police officers removed their numbers so no reports of police violence could be claimed against them. It is also claimed that police entirely surrounded the reserve so people could not leave, adding further fire to the rioter’s cause.

A few days after the riot, the State Government became involved, putting a political spin on the event, and blaming the riot on unemployed people. Interestingly, at the time of the riot, the Police Association President was vocal about a review of the Police Offences Act which could lead to a weakening of police powers to move on disorderly youths.

 

In the weeks after the riot T-shirts with the slogan ‘Come to Glenelg…it’s a riot’ began to be seen around Glenelg.

 

This is not the end of this story…. next week, a chilling conclusion to the Glenelg Riots!

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2023

[1] 'Four-hour rampage after rock concert', The Canberra Times, (24 January 1984), p. 3.

[2] 'Four-hour rampage after rock concert', The Canberra Times, (24 January 1984), p. 3.

[3] 'Glenelg clash shakes Adelaide's complacency on jobless', Tribune, (8 February 1984), p. 16.

[4] 'Glenelg clash shakes Adelaide's complacency on jobless', Tribune, (8 February 1984), p. 16.