POLICE will increase numbers at Fringe festival venues on weekends following a spate of complaints by performers of abuse and anti-social behaviour from yobs.
Police assure event organisers more officers will patrol the city Fridays and Saturdays to ensure festival-goers are safe.
No formal complaints were made to WA Police but they flowed online.
Adam Scott, who dresses as a drag queen to host a burlesque show, took to Facebook, posting that a “burly guy” last weekend told him, “cunts like you should have their heads cut off”.
“He then flexes his fist, with three rough steel rings on his fingers, and says ‘come over here’.
Playwright Tiffany Barton says there have been more complaints, some involving the pinching of dancers’ bottoms.
“Yes, sure this kind of thing can happen anywhere at any time of the year, but there’s a notable difference from last year’s fringe,” the Hilton resident says.
“Anti-social behaviour wasn’t a big deal last year: it was vibrant and had a real community feel. Every venue has a bar and it’s turned into the massive-scale thing. It’s great for the economy, but what is it doing socially?”
She pins some problems on how big and commercial the fringe has become, and accuses organisers of neglecting grassroots contributors.
Festival spokeswoman Sian Collins says security is covering more venues and there’s been a 40 per cent increase in shows.
Last year there were 500 shows across 100 venues: this year it’s 700 across 150.
by EMMIE DOWLING
Perth Voice Interactive 
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