Terrifying alcohol-fuelled brawl during Schoolies celebrations

A wild brawl has further marred schoolies celebrations in Victoria with police forced to use capsicum spray to break up bottle throwing teens.

Dozens of flares were set off and thrown into a packed crowd of partygoers about midnight at popular seaside town Rye on the Mornington Peninsula late on Friday night.

Footage of the chaos circulated across social media. In one video a male voice can be heard saying: “If someone dies, someone dies.”

“Flares were being shot up in the middle of all those people which is incredibly dangerous,” one schoolie said.

“My mate almost got hit by one,” another revealed.

A short time later an alcohol-fuelled brawl broke out at the pier and riot officers and the dog squad were called in to break it up.

Police used pepper spray to control the rowdy crowds, who were throwing bottles at them.

“They were throwing them onto the road and then when the police cars came they kept throwing them,” one witness said.

It’s the third time this week celebrations have turned violent.

Several people suffered minor injuries during the altercation.

“A lot of people are bored, they’re intoxicated and they have nothing to do,” one schoolie said.

Concerned residents fear the schoolies violence is only going to continue and are calling on the local council to provide a safe organised event away from the foreshore.

“Everything that has been organised down here is completely unorganised, uncontrolled and unpatrolled,” Rye community spokesperson Fran Martinez said.

Another spokesperson, Shelley Blackberry, suggested a formal event with camping and security is a possible avenue to take.

The council said it will consider calls for controlled venues.