Rebels bikies love 'red carpet' treatment
As about 1000 Rebels bikie members arrived in Kalgoorlie-Boulder yesterday, national president Alex Vella described the police presence in WA as a "red carpet" for the club.
It was a sight to behold as about 600 members stopped to refuel at a service station just outside of town, flanked by swarms of police officers ready to diffuse potential incidents.
But both the Rebels and police said the club's annual national run had gone smoothly, devoid of any controversy as the trip neared its conclusion.
Gang Crime Squad Acting Detective Inspector Jeff Christmass said things had gone according to plan, but police were still preparing to maintain a strong presence around town to ensure members did not enter licensed premises.
"The plan for policing tonight is we'll still maintain our visual presence wherever they are in the Kalgoorlie area," Acting Det Insp Christmass said.
"We will be making sure any Rebels member that goes into (licensed) premises will be removed."
Mr Vella said the club was not bothered by the restriction on licensed venues and members would still find a way to have a good time following a successful trip to date.
"The weather has been perfect, the highway has been great and police have been pretty good," Mr Vella said. "They just showed the right way and stopped traffic so it made it much easier… It's been a red carpet for us, really.
"No, we're not bothered (by the venue restrictions), we know how to get around that… we can go home with some friends of ours and sit there and enjoy a drink."
The Rebels were expected to leave Kalgoorlie-Boulder at 6am today.
