Bikies in secret summit

POWERBROKERS from the Gold Coast's outlaw bikie gangs have held a secret summit in a bid to cool off public violence, fearing a public backlash.

This comes as senior police continue to deny the bikies are out of control, despite a public brawl between rival gangs at the Cooly Rocks On festival, a clash at a weekend football match and the stabbing death of a Bandido associate on Sunday.

Following the bikie crisis talks, gang members and associates have been ordered not to wear their colours or club supporter's gear in public.

It is believed senior bikie figures fear the violence has escalated to untenable levels and are concerned a community backlash will prompt a police crackdown.

Senior police said the clubs and their legal teams had warned gang members to ''pull their heads in'', stop committing crimes and stay out of trouble.

Bikies have also been urged to stay off social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter.

The string of emergency meetings come after a series of bikie-related violence that culminated in the murder of Bandido associate Max Waller, who was stabbed to death in a public park in Broadbeach at the weekend.

The bikie colours ban was clearly evident at yesterday's memorial for Waller, when Bandido members wore plain black clothes.

While senior detectives continue to insist the murder was not linked to bikie gangs, the community has demanded action. But the gangs have moved first to curb the violence themselves.

''This is the last thing the clubs want,'' police said.

 

''It's a perfect storm of publicity that they just do not want or need and they are desperate to put a stop to it and get off the front page  that's why they've called these emergency meetings.''

Queensland police are attempting to have the Finks declared a criminal organisation in October, in a seven-week Supreme Court hearing which is the first application under the Organised Crime Act.

''It has got to stop  even the gangs know it. They had been warned by the club hierarchy and even their legal teams have told them it has to stop,'' police said.

Sources said the gangs were angry that a spat between two rival club nominees  Anthony Watts and Jacob Little  erupted at the Cooly Rocks On.

''It's personal, not club-related,'' bikie sources said.

''There is no problem between the Finks and the Nomads  this is an issue that those two idiots started and dragged the clubs into a public brawl.''

The tensions continued with another public melee at the Tugun Seahawks in front of league fans  again allegedly involving Watts and the Nomads.

Police acknowledged the public have had enough.

''The bosses are doing their best to play this down, but the community is afraid and the police are not being seen to do anything,'' one officer said.