Flares Set Off At Australian Open Turnstiles
Just in.
A large group of men have been denied entry to the first day of the Australian Open after some of them lit flares near the turnstiles. Watch the video below.
Two men lit the flares as they walked among a group of 20 men along Birrarung Marr, a park beside the tournament site's perimeter.
Police found the group queuing near Rod Laver Arena and they were denied entry.
"We have zero tolerance for that sort of behaviour," Tennis Australia Events and Facilities Director Tom Larner told reporters on Monday
"The Australian Open is a family-friendly event, we have a lot of kids and families that come to the event and (while) we want our fans to be passionate, we want them to be well-behaved."
No arrests were made and police are working to identify exactly which of the group lit the flares.
More than 720,000 people are expected to attend the event over the course of the two-week tournament, including almost 100,000 visitors from overseas.
- AAP