Kelmscott Agricultural Show Locked Down and Closed Early Due to Youth Violence

The Kelmscott Agricultural Show, a long-running family event in Perth, was forced into lockdown and eventual early closure on Saturday evening due to fighting between groups of youths.

The show, which has been running for over 100 years, features rides, showbags, log-chopping events, and livestock exhibitions. On Saturday afternoon, police were called to the venue at Rushton Park on River Road in Kelmscott as dozens of youths tried to enter the show.

Kelmscott Agricultural Society president Daryl Dawes said fights between youths inside the showgrounds escalated throughout the day, culminating in between 50 and 70 juveniles trying to enter the venue. "Over the day we had some issues with youth coming in and causing fights on the grounds and it sort of escalated and grew and grew," Mr Dawes said.

The show went into lockdown around 5pm on Saturday. "We ejected people that were causing disruptions in the show and it built up, out on River Road it just got worse and worse so unfortunately we had to go into a lockdown," Mr Dawes said. "All of our gates got shut … physically padlocked shut until we had a police presence to deal with what was going on outside."

Mr Dawes described the trouble as "disappointing," saying it was the first time in his eight years as president of the society that the event had gone into lockdown. He also mentioned that some of the juveniles were walking between the show's River Road entrance and its Orlando Street entrance, looking for weak points and cutting fences and cable ties to try and gain entry.

"Our security team did a great job ... anyone that got in was very quickly ejected," Mr Dawes said. A police spokesperson said no charges had been laid, but one juvenile received a caution for disorderly behaviour.