Rock Machine–Rebels conflict

The Rock Machine-Rebels Conflict is an ongoing conflict between International Motorcycle Clubs, the Rebels Motorcycle Club based in Australia and the Rock Machine from Canada. This conflict began in 2009 and continued sporadically until the present day, with both clubs competing for territory in Australia.

Beginning of conflict[]

The Rebels Motorcycle Club at its peak in the 2000s, was the largest club in Australia with over 70 chapters in country. They saw Australia as their territory and had several ongoing conflicts with other motorcycle clubs for dominance of the country. The first Rock Machine chapter in Australia was established in the Perth suburb of Myaree in 2009 by then Rock Machine MC Canada President, Critical J. The defection of Rebels MC members to the Rock Machine MC sparked an ongoing violent feud between the groups.^[1]

Conflict[]

In December 2009, Australian authorities announced that notorious Canadian Motorcycle Club the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club had opened a chapter in Perth, initially using a Kardinya gym as their clubhouse. This was seen as an act of aggression by the Australian-based Rebels Motorcycle Club, threats and verbal exchanges online between the two clubs soon occurred.

Things would heat up, when on July 10, 2010. A brawl broke out at a Metropolitan nightclub between members of both groups, several people were injured. The situation truly escalate with the fire bombing of a vehicle belonging to a Full-Patch member of the Rebels Motorcycle Club in October 2010. On November 5, 2010, a brawl occurred between 20 members of the two groups at a Mixed Martial Arts event hosted at the Joondalup Arena, several members of the Rebels are injured. On November 12, 2010. 15 Full-Patch members of the Rebels Motorcycle Club rode through the Fremantle's entertainment district, looking to provoke an incident with the Rock Machine.^[2]

On November 16, 2010. The Ink Assault, a tattoo parlor owned by the Rebels. Was set ablaze by Molotov cocktails around 3:00 in the morning. A member of the Rock Machine was arrested in connection with the arson. On November 19th of the same year, another vehicle belonging to a member of the Rebels Motorcycle Club is fire bombed and destroyed. On November 21, 2010. Members of the Rock Machine MC ransack and vandalize a house in Southern Perth belonging to a member of the Rebels MC causing "extensive damage" and make off with several items. On November 26, 2010. A member of the Rebels and two members of the rival Rock Machine are charged over a fight that occurred near the Royal Fremantle Golf Club in East Fremantle. A senior member of Rebels, who was allegedly attacked with a big torch and pepper spray by the Rock Machine, was later acquitted after his actions were proven to be in self defense.^[2]

On November 29, 2010. A member of the Rock Machine, was charged when police uncover a large cache of high-power firearms in his trunk during a traffic stop on Mounts Bay Road in Crawley. The weapons seized include, a automatic 7.62x39mm rifle of unknown make, while two other firearms a 12 gauge sawed off shotgun under the passenger seat and a stolen .44 magnum lever-action rifle was also found, along with ammunition. On January 22, 2011. Members of the Rock Machine ran into members of the Rebels at the Clink nightclub in Fremantle. This resulted in a brawl between the two groups that saw several again injured. The next day, a Spearwood tattoo parlour, the Lost Tattoo, which was owned by a member of the Rock Machine is ransacked by a group of Rebels, the manager is assaulted and the office trashed. On January, 24. The Perth Police drive an armoured vehicle through the front gate of the Rebels Osborne Park chapter clubhouse, causing significant damage to the clubhouse's mezzanine level of the industrial unit, as part of their investigation into the recent exchanges between the two clubs. Tactical Response Group officers use an angle grinder to cut through a security gate and threw stun grenades into the building to gain access. Police stated they were unable to find anything in the raid, but then Rebels president Nick Martin demanded authorities pay for the damage to the clubhouse.^[3]

On February 3, 2011. Authorities ordered an increased Police presence around the Perth Courthouse as members of the Rebels and Rock Machine gathering during a court appearance by a Rock Machine member. A Rebels member was arrested for "disorderly conduct" outside the court. On February 12th of the same year, members of the Rock Machine visited a Rebels owned establishment looking to members of the Rebels MC, the Pink Duck Bar in Rockingham. No Rebels were present however a manager had to lock himself in an office to escape them. On February 25, 2011. Police raid the Rock Machine MC, large amounts of powerful high-grade explosives are seized from the Rock Machine's Myaree chapter clubhouse. Police say they confiscated enough explosive detonators and industrial-strength powergel to demolish a large building, including some placed in a hidden roof cavity. Authorities claim the quantity of high explosives had the potential to cause "extreme loss of life". The Rock Machine Canada, which is notorious for is use of high explosives was accused by Australian authorities of being involved with providing the explosive.^[4]

On March 18, 2011. Rebels WA President Nick Martin is the victim of an assassination attempt by the Rock Machine, when he was shot through the elbow out front of his Perth home. He survived the attempt with only minor surgeries. On March 24, 2011. The Australian Police launch raids against both the Rebels and the Rock Machine, on nine separate properties in Australia, the raids resulted in the confiscation of over a dozen illegal rifles, a military practice mortar, 101 rounds of 30-30 ammunition and 136 rounds of 0.38 calibre ammunition, a 0.45, a semi-automatic pistol, 114 rounds of ammunition. Only two members of the groups were charged in these raids however the police announced that they had charged a member of the Rock Machine with the shooting of the Rebels President earlier in the year.^[5]

In 2012, The Rock Machine opened their second chapter in Perth, City Crew Perth or South Perth chapter after several members of the Finks Motorcycle Club defected to the Rock Machine MC. The Finks also had an ongoing rivalry with the Rebels Motorcycle Club.^[6] In 2013, one of the Rock Machine Perth chapters Patched-over to the Bandidos Australia. The conflict would see a significant decrease in hostilities as both groups had suffered setbacks due to police raids.

In January 2018. It was announced by authorities that the Rock Machine had reopened its main Perth clubhouse and that tensions had resumed between the two groups with several incidents. In the same month a member of the Rock Machine was arrested for a domestic incident.^[7] On December 12, 2020. Former President of the Rebels Motorcycle Club(was still an active member at the time of his death) Nick Martin was shot and killed by a sniper during a drag racing show at the Perth Motorplex, several others were injured in the attack. "It (the bullet) zoomed across the bitumen tracks, grazing the body a five-year-old boy and hitting former Rebels bikie boss Nick Martin in the chest, before striking the arm of former Bandidos member Ricky Chapman, who was sitting behind him." During the funeral of Martin, his house was robbed and the intruders stole over $20,000 from his widow.^[8] Nothing was confirmed at the time but authorities listed the Rock Machine among the list of possible suspects in both the assassination and robbery. These events resulted in a massive Police crackdown in 2021, with authorities charging 102 people with 267 offences and seizing more than 50 firearms, members of both the Rock Machine and Rebels were involved.^[9]

See also[]

• List of outlaw motorcycle club conflicts
• outlaw motorcycle club
• Rebels Motorcycle Club
• Rock Machine

References[]