Revellers warned to watch out for firebombings after spate of attacks on Melbourne venues

Anyone who wants to enjoy a night out in Melbourne this weekend should watch out for arsonists, police say, after a spate of firebombings at licensed venues across the city this week.

Police issued the extraordinary warning on Friday afternoon after at least six targeted attacks on hospitality venues since Tuesday.

The Men’s Gallery on Lonsdale Street, the Albion in South Melbourne, the Emerson in South Yarra and Kittens Strip Club in South Melbourne were among the clubs and bars attacked.

Two venues on Southbank – the Soho Restaurant and Bar, plus a neighbouring business – were also hit on Friday morning.

At a press conference on Friday, Detective Inspector Chris Murray, of the arson and explosives squad, said all owners were co-operative and didn’t know why they had been attacked.

“It’s early days, but we are none the wiser as to why these premises are being targeted,” Murray said.

In an earlier statement, police implored anyone out in the Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs, including the Chapel Street precinct, to remain alert this weekend.

“Please – if you’re out in metropolitan Melbourne and particularly entertainment precincts this weekend – call Triple Zero if you see anything suspicious,” Murray said.

“That could be a car that’s driving too slowly, people behaving oddly or something that just doesn’t look right.”

The head of the arson squad said none of the businesses targeted had reported any extortion attempts after the fires.

“That’s why I’m here – we’re very, very keen to understand why this is occurring,” Murray said. “We’ve seen a spike, and we’re going to respond to that spike.”

Two boys, aged 16 and 17, were arrested in Balwyn about 5am after an arson attack in Southbank on Friday morning.

Murray said police generally found youths were being hired anonymously online to commit crimes, often without knowing who they were working for.

“The one common denominator is there is someone sitting above who is pulling the strings,” he said. “They’re the ones we’re interested in.

“These young kids are being used as cannon fodder for a few hundred dollars. And when they do go to prison, I can tell you now, they’re not getting phone calls from the people that put them up.”

Police said the Men’s Gallery on Lonsdale Street was also targeted in a drive-by shooting on Friday morning. No one was injured when a single shot was fired towards the strip club about 4.10am. The venue was first targeted in an attempted arson about 5.45am on Tuesday.

The next day, a fire broke out at the Albion on York Street about 3am. Detectives arrested a 25-year-old man from Coburg in relation to that fire on Friday.

On Thursday, a suspicious fire broke out about 4.20am at The Emerson on Commercial Road in South Yarra. Police said there was an attempted arson at the same time on Cecil Street in South Melbourne.

A source from Kittens, who asked not to be identified due to safety concerns, said two masked offenders had failed to set the strip club alight – only managing to break a window.

“We asked police last night what’s happening, and they said, ‘We’ve got no idea,’” the source said.

“No one’s got any idea why it’s happening – only that it’s happening.”

Murray said arsonists had “no idea what they are doing” and warned they could easily kill someone.

“God forbid, if they set themselves on fire, what hope have people around them got if they can’t get away with the offending without injuring themselves,” he said.

Murray said police had no information to suggest a particular venue would be targeted next.

“But what we’d say to the industry, generally speaking, is have a look at your own security,” he said. “And in terms of the police response, we will be heavily focusing on patrols, both overt and covert.”

Police urged anyone with information about who was responsible or the motivation behind the attacks to come forward.

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