About 5000 Christmas revellers have created chaos in St Kilda. As partygoers spilled onto the streets, drunken antics forced the closure of roads in the area around the foreshore.
A 27-year-old man was hit by a tram during the mass gathering. Two people were arrested for public drunkenness and an assault was also reported to police.
Inspector Jason Kelly said a 27-year-old woman was taken to hospital due to intoxication and people were injured due to stepping on broken glass.
"An unplanned event took place, and that event escalated into quite a significant number of people being out here on the St Kilda foreshore," he said.
The City of Port Phillip is predicting that the clean-up of rubbish and broken glass will cost thousands - and it comes just ahead of a 10-day alcohol ban.
Earlier on Christmas Day thousands flocked to the beach to play cricket, drink and eat before the municipality's booze ban kicked in at 8pm.
Inspector Kelly said on Christmas afternoon, about 5000 people gathered on the foreshore. "Overall, considering the number of people here and that we have dispersed them ... it was a significant response from Victoria Police to ensure the local safety of the community here."
Two lanes in Jacka Boulevard were closed during the foreshore chaos.
Inspector Kelly said he was disappointed at the "level of intoxication" amongst revellers who flocked to the foreshore on Christmas night. He stressed that while all were welcome to the beach, the local by-law prohibits drinking on the beach after 8pm.
He also said that from Boxing Day, a ban on drinking on the beach and anywhere in the city of Port Phillip would be enforced for the next 10 days.
Inspector Kelly said the level of rubbish was "appalling, really unacceptable"'.
This story first appeared on The Age
