WA; Failed school excursion sparks riot

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2003
WA; Failed school excursion sparks riot

A failed school excursion to the Port Hedland detention centre has sparked a riot,
leaving two centre staff with suspected spinal injuries.

The immigration department says tear gas was used to quell the overnight riot that
quickly escalated from a roof-top protest to a clash involving about 20 detainees.

The detainees hurled concrete, sticks, rocks and broken pipes at specialist Australasian
Correctional Management staff before 16 local police officers moved in and restored order
about 2.30am (WST).

The wife of an Afghan man who has been held in the centre for almost three years, says
the detainees were angered after students from a college south of Perth were denied access
to the centre.

The students had travelled about 1,700 kilometres from Mandurah, south of Perth, to
the detention centre in the state's north west.

The immigration department says teachers at Mandurah Catholic College ignored the fact
that they'd been told in November not to visit the centre because of an imminent change
of management.

AAP RTV hn/rh/rp e

KEYWORD: HEDLAND (PERTH)

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