2005 Cronulla riots
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On December 11, 2005, a series of violent race riots occurred in several Sydney suburbs. The violence was first reported in Cronulla and later spread to other suburbs of Sydney.
Events
Prior to the outbreak of violence, a crowd of at least 5000 people gathered at Cronulla beach.[1] The gathering had been called for in response to the assault of two surf lifesavers the previous weekend, which had been attributed to a Lebanese gang.[2]. According to ABC News, the initially festive atmosphere rapidly became violent:
"Earlier in the day the atmosphere had been party-like despite the large crowd, which some estimates say numbers 5,000 people. That changed when a man of Middle Eastern appearance was chased into a hotel bistro. Within a minute the hotel was surrounded by several thousand people screaming and chanting. About a half an hour later a fight broke out across the road and police led away a man with a shirt over his head as the crowd lobbed beer cans at him."[3]
Clothing with slogans such as "Love Nulla, Fuck Allah", "Wog Free Zone", "Aussie Pride", and "Ethnic Cleansing Unit", and "I Love Pork" were sported by many of the rioters. Racial vilification and "Lebs out", "Lebs go home" were continuously being chanted by many of the rioters, including young families with children. Through the course of the day, several individuals of Middle Eastern descent were assaulted, and assaults on police and ambulance workers were reported as well. Groups of young men threw beer bottles at police and attacked police vehicles.[4][5]
Several dozen people were treated for minor cuts and bruises, while six individuals were evacuated under police escort to be assessed by doctors. One was further evacuated to St. George hospital, in serious but stable condition. [6][7]
'Spread' to other suburbs
By evening, unrest had spread to the Maroubra beach and the suburb of Rockdale, where cars and windows were vandalised.[8] Several instances of property damage at the Rockdale train station were reported. It appears that this violence occurred in reaction to the violence against people of Middle Eastern apperance in Cronulla, and was perpetrated by people of Middle-Eastern origin against what are perceived as white areas.
By 1 AM on the 12th, violence had spread to Brighton Le Sands as well, where police wearing riot gear sectioned off Bay Street in a confrontation with a crowd.[9]
In Woolooware, a 23-year old man was stabbed outside a golf club. Local police told ABC News that they are searching for a group of men who are "middle eastern in appearance."[10]
The Sydney Morning Herald reported unspecified unrest in Kyeemagh.[11]
Police response
While the Police department at Cronulla had commented that they were prepared to deal with any violence at Cronulla beach, at the time the SMS message suggested, their local department was completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who turned up to the beach on 11 December. The local policemen and women were being assaulted along with Lebanese and Middle Eastern people. Many police used riot equipment and capsicum spray to subdue their attackers. Eventually they had to call reinforcements from the Miranda Police department. Police moved to protect several individuals targeted by the crowds, and used capsicum spray to subdue several individuals. Elouera Road was temporarily closed to traffic.[12]
On the evening of the 11th, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted an New South Wales Police spokesman as saying that seven people had been arrested, with charges filed against four individuals.[13] By the morning of the 12th, "news.com.au" reported 12 arrests total. Charges included assaulting police, throwing a missile, offensive behaviour, hindering police, and resisting arrest.[14]
On 12 December a police strike force was established to track down those responsible for the riots using video and photo evidence.
Causes
The catalyst for the racial hatred between "Aussies" (Anglo-Celtic-Australians) and "Lebs" (generic Australian slang for Lebanese-Australians and other Middle Eastern descendants) and trigger for the riots was an SMS text message calling for all "Aussies" to "retake" their beach from "Lebs and Wogs". The existence of this SMS message, and its content, was widely disseminated through talkback radio and other media.
The text message was in response to the assault of two surf lifesavers on Cronulla beach on the 4th of December, allegedly by a gang of Lebanese youths. Since the police, in the eyes of the people, had been obviously failing to deal with these gangs, the people took matters into their own hands.
Politicians and local government officials speculated that the actual racial hatred had been building for some time, and this riot was revenge for perceived slights to the local community. One Member of Parliament, Bruce Baird, member for the Division of Cook, went as far as to link the riots to the September 11 terrorist attacks, and to the 2002 Bali bombings in which 6 locals had been killed. [15] This was despite the fact that said bombings were perpetrated by Indonesian Muslim extremists, not Lebanese people. The initial riot broke out around the memorial to the 6 victims of Bali terrorist bombings.
Various skinhead, White Nationalist and racist organisations were present at the riots, and were handing out leaflets advocating their cause and were said to have further escalated the violence. Some present were handing out flyers for the "Patriotic Youth League", a group linked to overseas White Nationalist/Supremacist.
Reactions
Political, community and religious leaders condemned the violence. Ken Moroney, police commisioner of NSW, told the Sydney Morning Herald that he was ashamed at the "mob mentality" of the rally. He further elaborated:
"The other equally offensive conduct today, the absolutely total un-Australian conduct today, was an attack on an ambulance. That has brought a higher level of shame to those involved in that level of attack and they deserve to be condemned in the highest possible terms."[16]
Keysar Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, stated that the violence was "bound to happen" because of racist rhetoric on Sydney talkback radio throughout the week.[17]
Prime Minister John Howard condemned the riots, describing the violence as "sickening", adding however that he does not believe racism to be widespread in Australia. Opposition leader Kim Beazley also condemned the violence.
References
- ^ "Mob violence envelops Cronulla". December 11, 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - ^ "Mob Mentality shameful: Police Comissioner". December 11, 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - ^ "Cronulla mob attacks beachgoers". December 11, 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - ^ "Violence moves to Maroubra: reports". December 11, 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - ^ "Violence Spread to Third Sydney Suburb". December 12, 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - ^ "Sydney's Racial Tension Spreads". December 11, 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|org=ignored (help) - ^ "Twelve Charged over Cronulla Melee". December 12, 2005.
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