Racial Riots in Sydney, Australia

[Groundhog]

Haven't seen this mentioned here, so...

I don't know that it's made international news, but yesterday in Sydney a pretty serious racially motivated riot broke out in my home town (where I no longer live, thankfully). This is virtually unheard of in Australia in recent years, although problems had been brewing for a number of years and it was probably a matter of time before something happened, though I definitely didn't expect this.

News links:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17536989-2,00.html#
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/2005/12/11/1134235939302.html

Basically what went down was that about a week ago a group of "Lebs" (a pretty generic term that no longer just means Lebanese, but basically anyone of middle Eastern appearance) attacked a volunteer life guard at Cronulla beach.

Having grown up in Cronulla I can tell you that the locals definitely don't appreciate outsiders visiting the beach, especially not "Lebs", who have a reputation for trouble (somewhat well earned, IMO) and have been in the news a lot lately for things like drugs, gang rapings, etc. The attack on the life guard was the straw that broke the camel's back for this surf-cultured town. Instantly e-mails and text messages started getting sent all around the Cronulla area and the rest of Sydney (no doubt helped along by various hate groups) urging all "Aussies" to come and support our country and kick out the Lebs; I got a few of these myself, but doubted anything would happen, outside of maybe a few heroes… next thing you know I'm watching the news and anyone who looks Middle Eastern is getting chased through Cronulla by angry mobs of white Australians and beaten.

It's really horrible to see, and the violence is spreading now with revenge attacks and plans by both sides for further riots. I've got friends on both "sides" and there is a lot of anger and a lot of talk about what happens next. From what I hear there are more attacks going on as we speak, with entrance to some suburbs being blocked off by police. Very scary stuff.

In my life there have probably been about 8 or 9 times when I've run in to any sort of serious trouble while walking around the city or riding public transport. I'd say 6 or 7 of those times it was from Lebanese youths, so I agree that this is an issue that needs addressing (though it is worth mentioning that in two of those occassions, other Lebanese youths stepped in and helped me), but it goes without saying that forming an angry mob and beating up innocent people is just truly pathetic and shameful for us Australians who not only don't condone the action of these rioters, but are also a risk ourselves for retaliation from the Lebanese gangs. I currently live in an eastern Sydney beach suburb that could very well be next hit by the revenge attacks, as the violence is slowly creeping up the coastal suburbs toward me.

I don't see an end to this problem in the near future, and along with most of Australia I imagine I will be following it very closely over the next couple of months. I'd steer clear of Cronulla altogether for awhile if it weren't for the fact that I have family down there.

[sovereignstar]

I hope the JBL All-Star Weekend doesn't get cancelled. :)

Seriously though, that sucks.

[tucker rocky]

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2005/12/11/3cronulla_gallery__470x313.jpg

Primitive.

[JeffNights]

My opinion is good for them. About time somebody shows these people they just cant run amok in somebody else's culture.

[Anthony]

My opinion is good for them. About time somebody shows these people they just cant run amok in somebody else's culture.

that's what i say. i wish they'd lynch them all.

[Groundhog]

But it's not "them" they are attacking. They are attacking ANYONE of Middle Eastern appearance. The vast majority are no problem at all. You think it's "good" of them to storm a train and pummel two guys for no reason? Imagine being those guys, I can't imagine anything scarier.

I agree that they shouldn't be allowed to run amock, but this only makes matters worse, like the guy who was stabbed later that night trying to defend three girls from Lebs looking for revenge. I doubt very much he was apart of the riots of that day, and now he's in a serious condition in hospital thanks to them.

[Groundhog]

Dola

And it's not just guys, women were being attacked and having bottles thrown at them, too. Police were rounding up anyone of Middle Eastern appearance and taking them out of the area. It was insane.

[Grammaticus]

This story chalks the whole thing up to racist Aussie's. Does not even mention anything about legitimate problems with the Lebanese contributing to the riots. It says the rioters are "drunk white youth". It also says, "Some 5,000 white youths, wrapped in Australian flags and chanting racist slurs, fought with police, attacked people of Arab appearance and assaulted a pair of paramedics at Cronulla beach in southern Sydney, police said. Police fought back with batons and pepper spray."



http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/11/D8EEF3JO0.html

[Groundhog]

More violence tonight. Lebs are striking back, random stabbings and assaults. My mate who still lives in the area was driving along when he saw a bunch of guys jump out of a car and run in to a car yard and smash up all the cars in the yard before fleeing. A woman has been stabbed and ambulances are being attacked.

And to top it off, the Australian bikie gangs have said they plan on coming out to support "the Australian way of life". Things are really getting serious now.

[Noop]

Is there reason why they perform these attacks? I don't want to judge anyone(not that I have the human right to) without hearing both sides of the story.

[Groundhog]

Is there reason why they perform these attacks? I don't want to judge anyone(not that I have the human right to) without hearing both sides of the story.

It's in retalliation for the riots and bashings on Sunday by the Aussies. Like I said, I don't condone the riots and bashings, but beating someone up is one thing, and stabbing them is something completely different.

A group of 60 or 70 Lebs have made their way to a suburb in Sydney named Maroubra to take on the local gang there, a bunch of surfers known as the "Bra boys", who have a reputation as being real bad asses.

I'm listening to a police scanner on the web right now, and we've got the first instance of shots being fired.

[Noop]

It's in retalliation for the riots and bashings on Sunday by the Aussies. Like I said, I don't condone the riots and bashings, but beating someone up is one thing, and stabbing them is something completely different.

A group of 60 or 70 Lebs have made their way to a suburb in Sydney named Maroubra to take on the local gang there, a bunch of surfers known as the "Bra boys", who have a reputation as being real bad asses.

I'm listening to a police scanner on the web right now, and we've got the first instance of shots being fired.
Let me be more clear. I want to know why the "Lebs" started causing trouble in the first place. Is this mostly young kids (i.e. 14-23) or are there grown people involved.

[Groundhog]

Let me be more clear. I want to know why the "Lebs" started causing trouble in the first place. Is this mostly young kids (i.e. 14-23) or are there grown people involved.

Ahh... well, tough question. Australia is a multi-cultural country and most races, Asians, Greeks, Italians or whatever, have blended in pretty well. The "Lebs" on the other hand haven't. I don't know why, it's a cultural thing I suppose. It's definately youths, in the age group you listed, though maybe going up to around 30 years old.

I think the problem is that there is a good deal of segregation in the suburbs in Sydney, with some suburbs being entirely Lebanese, others Turkish, Greek, etc. These don't tend to be the nicest suburbs, and it brings these nationalities together, creating somewhat of an "Us and Them" atmosphere. These groups have a great sense of national pride as far as their, or their parent's, original country is concerned, and many of them openly say they hate Australians and Australia. I've personally been harassed for being a white Australian several times.

Like I said in my first post, this has been brewing for some time. Over the past few years there were a series of gang rapes against teenage girls who were being targetted by the "Leb" gangs solely because they were white Australians. This didn't do much to help relations, and when you combine this with the drug scene and the violent crime that does down in their local areas, it's easy to see why the people of suburbs such as Cronulla don't want them in their area.

I don't know what the solution is, but this will get much worse before it gets any better. The Lebanese community leaders really need to stand up and try and get their community in line, put an emphasis on education or something to keep the kids off the streets and out of trouble, but all this is long term, and probably unlikely.

Having said that, I once again state that I am sickened by the riots on Sunday by the drunken, largely teen, Aussies, and regardless of the problems with the "Lebs", no one deserves to get beaten by an angry mob because of the colour of your skin.

[lighthousekeeper]

It's in retalliation for the riots and bashings on Sunday by the Aussies. Like I said, I don't condone the riots and bashings, but beating someone up is one thing, and stabbing them is something completely different.



Must be an Australian thing.