2005 Macquarie Fields riots
The Macquarie Fields riots were a series of disturbances across southwest Sydney in February 2005 caused by local resentment.
The riots were sparked after a police chase on February 25 in which a local driver, 20 year old Jesse Kelly, crashed a stolen vehicle into a tree, killing his two passengers, 17 year old Dylan Raywood and 19 year old Matthew Robertson. Residents blamed police for the deaths and the subsequent riots lasted for four nights—they also involved at least 150 teenagers clashing with New South Wales Police. The rioters hurled rocks, bottles, bricks, Molotov cocktails, and set cars alight, injuring several police.
The police were criticised at the time for not acting to quell the disturbances quickly enough, with some arguing the riots could have been ended in their first day had a more aggressive stance been adopted. The so-called 'soft' approach by police was put down to downsizing within the force that inhibited their ability to contain the ringleaders effectively. The police eventually made 55 arrests, including that of Jesse Kelly, who had fled the scene of the fatal car crash which preceded the riots.
The suburb of Macquarie Fields suffers from a high rate of unemployment. Of its 4,600 homes, 1,500 are housing commission projects—home to low-income and disadvantaged families. Criticisms have been made about this controversial cul de sac style urban planning that left many residents with very little privacy.
Many circumstances around the riots were a repeat of the riots that took place in Redfern during the previous year.
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See also
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