Civil unrest has returned to a remote Northern Territory Indigenous community after a violent brawl involving hundreds of armed people broke out.

May 17, 2022

A brawl involving hundreds of armed people has erupted in a remote Northern Territory Indigenous community as a violent feud between rival clans rolls on.

About 300 people were involved in the melee in Wadeye, 400km southwest of Darwin, late on Sunday, police say.

Various blunt and edged weapons were used during the fighting at the community’s oval. A 26-year-old man suffered a non-life-threatening arm injury and rocks were thrown at police vehicles.

The latest bout of civil unrest in the town of about 3000 people started three months ago.

Since then, one man has died, after reportedly being speared in the head, and others have been seriously injured.

About 100, or a quarter, of all homes in Wadeye have been damaged or destroyed.

Up to 500 people were forced from their homes several weeks ago during the peak of the violence, many into bush camps without shelter.

Deputy chief minister Nicole Manison said the authorities were monitoring the situation and continued to support displaced people.

“We have had a relatively calm week but unfortunately we had a disturbance … There was a very swift response and people dispersed,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

“We are working closely with all the different family groups to keep calm and keep people safe.”

Ms Manison said the community remained tense and people were grieving following the man’s death on April 19.

Wadeye is one of the largest Aboriginal communities in the NT and home to 22 clans and seven language groups.

The community is located in the second-most disadvantaged region in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

A 2019 survey found 57 out of 400 homes in Wadeye were seriously overcrowded, some with more than 20 occupants.

Historic tensions between clans is said to have caused the unrest in Wadeye, formerly known as Port Keats.

It was established as a Catholic mission in 1935 after traditional owners in the area murdered three Japanese fishermen.

Asked about media being discouraged from visiting the community to cover the unrest, Ms Manison said it was up to traditional owners who they let into the community.

“Traditional owners want their views respected. They want time. They want space,” she said.