SEVEN people were arrested after an unruly mob turned on CFA volunteers at a weekend BMX event at Strathfieldsaye.
Police were forced to use capsicum spray after enraged BMX enthusiasts hurled bottles and assaulted CFA members called to douse a burning car at the Club Court Reserve just after 5pm on Saturday.
It is believed the car was deliberately set on fire to form a flaming stunt jump that was part of Bendigo Trailjam 2008.
Up to 15 police were called to the makeshift BMX facility and took more than 45 minutes to clear the area.
Bendigo Police Sergeant Tony Commadeur yesterday condemned the actions of those alleged to have turned on the CFA volunteers.
"There was a time when firies and ambos were once sacrosanct, but in this day and age the alcohol and lack of respect, you just don't know," Sergeant Commadeur said.
"A lot of these kids were sober and well behaved, but there were a lot in the 17 to 21 age group who were seriously affected by alcohol and then there was the idiot factor, with them winding each other up and they got all brave because they were in numbers."
Sergeant Commadeur estimated there were 250 people at the event, ranging in age from 13 to 40, when police arrived.
"It was an extraordinarily tense situation," he said.
"It wasn't a full-on brawl and there wasn't any fighting among themselves, but it certainly could have got a lot worse.
"There were a couple of people threatening police who would not back off and members were forced to use capsicum spray."
He also criticised the lack of control and organisation of the event, which has been held for the 10th year without sufficient control.
Strathfieldsaye CFA brigade Captain James Pilcher said about seven CFA teams first responded to reports of an explosion after the car had been set alight.
"But when you have a car on fire ... people can be seriously hurt,'' he said.
He said the trouble started when about a dozen of the participants, who were affected by alcohol, tried to prevent brigade members from doing their job.
"There was a bit of pushing and shoving, but fortunately most of our members are fairly hefty blokes who know how to handle themselves,'' he said.
Captain Pilcher estimated only about 10 to 15 of the youths were causing the trouble, and most of these were from Shepparton and Melbourne.
"They were jumping on the truck, stubbies were thrown and they were all chanting. It was a situation that could have turned very ugly," he said.
"Last year it was a mattress they set alight. It's a real shame because this behaviour stuffs it up for all the local kids who come to see some real talented riders," he said.
Bendigo rider Kenrick Egan said it was a great day's riding for BMX devotees that had been spontaneously organised for the first weekend in October, but a tendency for riders to drink later in the day had led to the trouble.
City of Greater Bendigo director of Community Wellbeing Barry Secombe branded the behaviour "deplorable" and said council would use local laws to prevent any future events where alcohol was consumed on council property.
Mr Secombe said Strathfieldsaye Park was a public reserve where there were no formal bookings, and the event had neither a permit nor council approval.
"My understanding is it is an informal use arrangement, but irrespective of what we have in place now, we need to put in place processes so we can ensure effective levels of control," he said.
The Bendigo Trailjam MySpace page promoting the weekend event had invited BMX riders and enthusiasts to "break some glass or burn the couches or just snort a line off a straight edger's dashboard - anything goes."
One online contributor to another chat room site had openly boasted that Saturday's event was "the best thing ever".
"It was so fun. If you didn't get maced or pepper sprayed or locked up, your (sic) lucky. That was sweet. How often do you see punch-ons between the CFA and police and BMXers?"
Sergeant Commadeur said the seven young men, mostly from other regional centres, were arrested and charged with drunkenness.
Investigations regarding possible assaults are still taking place.
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