Police were forced to watch on from a distance as thousands of people gathered at Eagle Hawk, just outside Canberra on Friday night, for illegal street burnouts.
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NSW and ACT police had attempted to disperse a crowd of more than 2000 people who had gathered on the Federal Highway Service Rd, outside the Eagle Hawk Hotel, around midnight but had been forced to retreat under a hail of rocks and bottles.
In an embarrassing outcome, social media vision taken of the Eagle Hawk incident shows police cars with their lights flashing stationed 400 metres away, while the illegal burnouts continued undeterred.
Spectators are shown cheering and filming with their mobile phones and even walking alongside the cars doing burnouts along the public street.
One NSW officer was injured and two police cars damaged in the melee.
Two NSW police vehicles and two motorcycle officers, together with ACT traffic operations officers, attempted to disperse the crowd but where driven back across the Federal Highway flyover.
In part of the vision, one of the burnout vehicles blew its rear tyres and sparks are seen to fly out the back of the car at a time when the area is experiencing extreme fire danger and people in the local rural area are on high bushfire alert.
A local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the late night burnouts on the Sutton service road had started on Thursday evening when she first contacted police and asked them to attend.
"This is shocking behaviour when the so many people's homes have been lost to bushfires, the weather is so volatile and people are fleeing from the South Coast fires," she said.
"What were these people thinking?"
NSW police were similarly appalled at the crowd's behaviour.
In a statement, NSW police said they were called to a hotel on the Federal Highway Service Road, Sutton about 11.45pm on Friday after reports of a large gathering of people on the street outside.
"Officers arrived to find approximately 2000 people and 500 vehicles at the location and on the road, before people began to throw rocks and glass bottles at police and their vehicles," they said in a statement.
"Police will allege rocks that were thrown struck a senior constable in the back of the head, cracked the rear windscreen of one police vehicle and broke the side mirror and rear window of another.
"A number of vehicles performed burn-outs prior to leaving the area."
In previous years during early January, illegal burnouts had been on an ongoing issue in the Braddon area, forcing road closures and regular police intervention.
A number of measures were used to attempt to curb the Lonsdale St illegal burnouts, including the laying of highly coarse chip bitumen.
Finally, the most effective prevention measure was determined to be shutting the road and this year, for the second year in succession, Lonsdale Street will be closed between Cooyong Street and Girrahween Street from 10pm to 1am on Friday and Saturday.
Acting Superintendent of Monaro Police District Neil Grey said he was extremely disappointed with the incident at Sutton.
"It is appalling how, at a time when the state's south is facing serious bushfire threat, some individuals choose to conduct themselves in such a reckless manner," he said.
"This type of behaviour is dangerous and unacceptable, and it is lucky that no one was seriously injured as a result. Tonight [Saturday], police resources will be out in force to ensure the public's safety and avoid a repeat of last night's events.
"The safety of the public is our number one priority and as we are expecting an influx of thousands of people to the area due to the nearby Summernats car festival, it is vital, now more than ever, for people to work with us in ensuring a safe outcome for all."
Police are investigating the incident and asking for anyone who might have information, video or dashcam footage of the incidents to contact the Queanbeyan Police Station on 6298 0599.
In anticipation of a difficult Saturday ahead, ACT police activated the Police Operations Centre at Belconnen.
The centre is activated in anticipation of, or in response to, major events impacting the ACT and when police are required to closely co-ordinate with government directorates and services such such as ACT Health and ACTION.
