Commuters were forced to run for cover after a group of youths allegedly fought with machetes at Flinders Street station on Saturday night. Protective Services Officers converged on the station, boarding a train where four boys were arrested and machetes were seized.
A 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital with a laceration to his arm. Police charged a 22-year-old man with affray, reckless cause injury, assault with a weapon and possessing a prohibited weapon. He was bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on 27 November. The remaining five, aged 13, 14, 15 and two 16-year-olds, were released.
The Victorian government defended its machete ban, with Minister Harriet Shing stating the ban is having an impact. The government reported about 18,000 weapons had been surrendered or seized and 17,000 machetes taken off shelves since the 2025 amnesty. However, opposition spokesperson David Southwick argued that knife attacks continue to escalate and that the government's policies have not worked.
