CHAOS erupted at Albert Park (aka Whoonga Park) on Monday night when a vigilante mob armed with sticks, knobkerries, planks and bricks attacked Whoonga Park residents, setting fire to the park and their meagre belongings.
The mob, allegedly consisting of residents from Dalton Hostel, lashed out in an organised attack against those they believed to be criminal addicts responsible for the spate of crimes against hostel dwellers and their families.
The attack started at Whoonga Park, quickly spreading to parts of lower Glenwood, Umbilo and the busy Davenport area.
Shocked and bewildered residents could only look on as the group of about 40 people swept through the streets targeting anyone they thought may be from Whoonga Park. In the mayhem, bystanders were caught up in the violence as people scattered in the wake of the approaching mob.
Heather Rorick, a counsellor and chairman of the Bulwer Community Safety Forum was witness to the erupting violence only narrowly escaping being hit with a knobkerrie herself. Still visibly shaken and upset Rorick said not all those attacked were whoonga addicts.
She said the staff from Safer Cities who had recently begun working with some of the vagrants living in the parks of Glenwood had determined that many of the homeless were South African and a number of them worked as car guards.
“There are men, women and elderly in this group – they were outnumbered by the attackers whom I hear were from Dalton Hostel – innocent people walking in the streets had to run for cover as these guys on the attack hit anyone in front of them. As these vagrant fell, they were attacked ten to one. They were hit with knobkerries, bricks and sticks with nails in them.”
She said one man had even tried to attack herself and another member of the Bulwer Community Safety Forum. “He missed the two of us by a whisker, the knobkerrie hit the iron railing,” said an upset Rorick.
