Racist attacks in Sydney

There have been some attacks in the Sydney beach of Cronulla between Australian gangs and Lebanese gangs. In fact, the problem started couple of weeks back when the Cronulla Life saver club members where beaten up by apparently Lebanese youth. Then started the vigilante mood of the people there, sending text messages and phone calls and emails to converge on the Cronulla beach last Sunday to protest against the attack. Whether it was Lebanese people who made the first attack, it is only hinted at. The result of the attack was that it prompted some of the talkback radio jockeys to start the debate on who is responsible and does Australia need such people ? Remember, the Lebanese people in question where also born in Australia to parents from the Middle East. So, technically, they are also Australians.

Most of the general public feel that the radio jockeys where very instrumental in stirring up the inner feelings of the public – in particular one Alan Jones in the talkback show on radio 2GB. The text message that was sent to everyone goes -

“Come to Cronulla this weekend to take revenge. This Sunday every Aussie in the Shire get down to North Cronulla to support the Leb and wog bashing day …”

The talkback host was even egging on the public to do the job that the police cannot do. At Cronulla, on Sunday, the police were unable to handle 5000 people with a force of 150 policemen. Even the policemen were pelted with stones and beer bottles. The normally placid crowd became very rowdy because of alcohol, questions are being asked why the bottle shops or the pubs around the beach were not closed in view of the approaching disturbance.

The chants of the crowd were very derogatory : save Nulla (Cronulla), f*** Allah. I used my mobile to shoot some snaps off the TV when the news program was on air.
The photos from my mobile are available here and here.