# 'Peace' meeting ends in axe fight



## Johnny Thunder (Feb 24, 2006)

*'Peace' meeting ends in axe fight*
Tuesday, December 5, 2006

The two families gathered together on the remote island of Groote Eylandt to work through their issues. They said that they wanted to resolve a long-standing inter-family feud calmly and peacefully.

That didn't go exactly to plan.

A short time later, a mass battle had broken out , as around 200 people attacked each other with spears, axes and homemade swords.

Things started to go a little off-script when one of the two families - in the mining town of Alyangula, on the island off Australia's Northern Territory - started to shout abuse and taunt the other family. he other family, according to police, weren't prepared to take that, and responded with much fighting.

According to authorities: 'The situation escalated with police frantically trying to disarm young men of axes, spears and homemade swords.'

The fighting continued all night, between the families, causing an estimated $20,000 (just under £8,000) worth of damage to property, with 11 people arrested.

At the time of writing, it is not believed that the two families have managed to resolve their differences peacefully.


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