Police struggled to contain the inner-city of Melbourne
and Sydney over the weekend, as violence erupted on the streets.

In Melbourne, four arrests have allegedly been made and
many more are expected after more than 100 youths, suspected to be from the
Apex and Islander 23 gangs, stormed Federation Square opposite Flinders Station
during the annual Moomba celebrations on Saturday night.

Police armed with batons and capsicum spray attempted to
disperse the rival street gangs, but not before violence spread to Swanston Street
where members of the public were caught up in the drama and forced to run for
safety.

A number of people were treated for injuries and taken
to hospital.

Victoria Police’s Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp told
radio station 3AW, officers were surprised by the number of gang members
involved even though police were warned there was talk on social media of such
violence.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said there were about
11 different incidents that broke the law, including assaults and robberies.

He said he expected the number of arrests to increase
significantly throughout the week as police examine CCTV footage.

Meanwhile, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has lashed
out.

“This sort of thuggery, this sort of criminal behaviour
won’t be tolerated, no matter what their background and they can expect to pay
for their crimes,” Mr Andrew said.

“It was an evil choice and one that those involved will
deeply regret.”

In Sydney, a brawl took place outside the concert CBD
venue, Metro Theatre, on Sunday morning.

The brawl reportedly began when an argument broke out
between two men as they left the venue at about 2am, and ended up involving
dozens of people in violence that spread across multiple streets.

Two men were arrested following the incident and have
since been charged.