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Home / World

Violent fight breaks out at supermarket as toilet paper panic buying escalates

NZ Herald
7 Mar, 2020 01:11 AM2 mins to read

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A fight broke out over toilet paper at Woolworths in Sydney's west. Photo / via Twitter

A fight broke out over toilet paper at Woolworths in Sydney's west. Photo / via Twitter

It's happened.

The crazed panic buying of Australians stockpiling as coronavirus hysteria grows has led to yet another violent outbreak with two women filmed fighting over toilet paper at Woolworths in Sydney's west.

This week there have been rumours of a knife being pulled during a scuffle over dwindling loo paper and police being forced use a taser to control a crowd at a supermarket.

#BREAKING: A scuffle broke out at a Woolworths in Chullora this morning with patrons coming to blows over toilet paper, forcing employees to intervene. Bankstown police attended the scene and no charges have been laid. #9News pic.twitter.com/9TmDAStb9D

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) March 7, 2020

And now a video, believed to be filmed in Chullora, shared on Facebook shows one woman punching another at least once as the nearby crowd screams in astonishment.

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Clutching grocery bags alongside a trolley loaded with toilet paper, the two women scream wildly as they throw punches and pull each other's hair.

"I just want one pack," one screams, aggressively shaking and pointing her finger.

"No, not one pack," another replies as she begs with the woman to leave her daughter alone.

Another, who attempts to calm the scuffle down, calmly says to one of the women, "think about what you're doing".

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Crowds nearby can be heard telling the manager to call the police, while another asks what the limit is for purchasing toilet paper.

The video shows one woman punching another at least once. Photo / via Twitter
The video shows one woman punching another at least once. Photo / via Twitter

During the week, the major supermarkets were forced to ration the sales of loo paper to keep the nation from running out as panic buying set in.

Commenting on the video shared online, a woman claiming to be an employee at the supermarket condemned the fight.

"I know both customers as I work there," Jenan Ghama Cheaib wrote.

Discover more

New Zealand

Coronavirus: 5 NZ cases, 2 more probable, 43 hospital staff isolated

07 Mar 04:32 PM

"It's ridiculous to think this is what we have come to."

Supermarkets have struggled to control crowds all week as hysteria has swept the nation.

A makeshift sign spotted at a Woolworths in the Sydney suburb Roselands declares a "zero tolerance" towards violence.

"Aggressive and abusive be behaviour will not be tolerated," the paper reads. "Our team is here to help, not be hurt.

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