Sudanese and Maori gangs

Six youths charged in violent attack at Box Hill shopping precinct
Julie Tullberg, Aaron Langmaid
From: Herald Sun
March 18, 2010 6:54PM
UPDATE 6.33am: A BYSTANDER was injured when a gang of teens attacked another group with knives and chairs at a shopping centre.
Police have charged six men following the violent fight at a shopping precinct in Melbourne's east.
The brawl broke out at the Whitehorse Plaza shopping centre in Box Hill at about 5pm yesterday, police said.
The armed group set upon the second group, with the fight eventually spilling on to Whitehorse Road and surrounding streets.
One bystander suffered a cut to the head but did not need medical treatment.
Witnesses say a man was armed with a hammer and another with a wooden stake during the incident which resulted in peak-hour train commuters scurrying to safety at Box Hill Central's shopping precinct yesterday.
Customers were forced to hide in stores at the shopping precinct as the youths frightened commuters and shoppers.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Senior Constable Karla Dennis said the men were charged after a fight at the Centro Whitehorse Plaza yesterday afternoon.
"Police arrested nine men and three were released without charge," Sen-Constable Dennis said.
"The other six, ranging in ages from 18 - 23 years and from the eastern and south eastern suburbs were charged with affray."
A witness who did not want to be identified described how at least 10 young men, of Sudanese appearance, stalked the streets for more than 20 minutes apparently hunting members of a Maori gang.
"I told my wife to go hide in one of the shops,'' the man said."I was actually really worried about what was going to happen."They were grabbing whatever they could to hit these other blokes... just walking around with total disregard for how much they were scaring people."The six men were bailed to appear in the Ringwood Magistrates' Court at a date to be fixed.