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Dec 11 2005 | |
icWales |
Racial tensions erupted today into running battles between police and thousands of white youths, many chanting racial slurs against ethnic Middle Easterners, at a beachside suburb in southern Sydney. At least 12 people were arrested for assault and other offences and several were injured in alcohol-fuelled fights at Cronulla beach. “People of Middle Eastern backgrounds that have been seen in the Cronulla area – a swarm of the crowd has approached these people with vile abuse,” said Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Goodwin. In TV broadcasts, the rioters overwhelmingly were young white men. Many carried beer bottles, waved Australian flags and chanted anti-Middle Eastern slogans in response to reports that youths of Lebanese ancestry were responsible for a recent attack on two of the beach’s life guards. After an uneasy peace had returned to Cronulla, police said youths damaged cars in nearby suburbs and there were unconfirmed reports of a man injured in a stabbing and police stopping cars full of youths of Middle Eastern appearance heading for the area. Dozens of police in riot gear also were involved in a confrontation with youths in the Brighton-le-Sands neighbourhood close to Sydney’s Botany Bay, Sky News reported. In Cronulla, one white teenager had the words “We grew here, you flew here” painted on his back. On the beach Sunday, someone had written “100% Aussie pride” in the sand. Two paramedics were injured as they tried to get youths of Middle Eastern appearance out of the Cronulla Surf Lifesaving Club, where they had fled to escape one group. The mob broke the vehicle’s windows and kicked its doors as the paramedics tried to get the group out. TV broadcasts showed a group of young women attacking another woman. Her ethnicity was not immediately clear. Some rioters stomped on police vehicles and other cars. Officers fought back with batons and pepper spray. Sydney has many beaches, but Cronulla is one of few that are easily accessible by train and often is visited by youngsters – many of Middle Eastern ethnicity - from the poorer suburbs of western and southern Sydney. Area residents accuse the visitors of being disrespectful and sometimes intimidating to other beachgoers. Days ago, police increased the number of officers patrolling the beach after mobile phone text messages began circulating and calling for retaliation for the attack on the lifeguards. But authorities seemed surprised by the number of people who showed up today. Area mayor Kevin Schreiber accused the mob of flocking to the beach looking for a fight. “As mayor and as a resident of Cronulla, I’m devastated by what has occurred on our beachfront,” he said. “It is the actions of a few, but let’s not kid ourselves that people didn’t come from far and wide to participate.” The violence “is nothing short of disgusting and disgraceful,” said Police Assistant Commissioner Goodwin. “It’s certainly not the Australian way.” New South Wales state’s political leader, Premier Morris Iemma, slammed the rioters. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on an ambulance at North Cronulla today,” Iemma said. “There is never any excuse to attack any emergency vehicle.” Islamic Friendship Association of Australia’s President Keysar Trad said the violence was “bound to happen” after callers to some talk radio shows whipped up ethnic tensions following the attacks last weekend. “Sections of the media took this issue far too far, and one can only surmise that the way (these) issues was dealt with on talk back radio amounts to incitement,” Trad said. Fighting subsided as evening fell on the beach. State police chief Commissioner Ken Moroney promised to target people who fuelled the ethnic tensions that ignited the violence. “Clearly there has been a level of racial vilification ... and those who are found to behave this way will be prosecuted,” he said, without elaborating. | |||
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