Revenge attacks in race war
David King and Dan Box
December 12, 2005
GANGS of youths embarked on a series of "hit and run" revenge attacks across Sydney's beachside suburbs last night after a day of racial violence that saw mobs rampage through Cronulla, in the city's south, bashing anyone of Middle Eastern appearance.
Scores of cars in the eastern suburb of Maroubra had their windscreens smashed and tyres slashed in what police fear is the first sign of retaliation by members of Sydney's Muslim community.
Local MP Michael Daley said the suburb was hit by youths wielding baseball bats and sticks after "a cavalcade of hotted-up vehicles" arrived at 8.30pm.
"They smashed cars and everything they could lay their hands on," he said. "I never thought I would see the day this sort of damage hits this city."
Police, who said it appeared the men were of Middle Eastern descent, said the convoy then moved to the Maroubra beachfront, where several people were injured in an "altercation".
Hundreds of police were last night patrolling the city's eastern and southern suburbs after a day of violence that started when as many as 5000 locals gathered in Cronulla to protest against increasing number of visitors, particularly Muslims, after an attack on a lifeguard last week.
The crowd at North Cronulla started by drinking beer and waving Australian flags. But, fuelled by alcohol and an SMS and email campaign to "bash" anyone of Lebanese appearance, the crowd started chanting racist slogans aimed at people of Middle Eastern origin.
Despite a heightened police presence and a well-publicised threat of prosecution against vigilante behaviour, at least four people were bashed when the crowd attacked anyone they thought was "a Leb".
One Muslim woman was targeted by the crowd and was forced to shelter in a kiosk while an angry mob outside chanted racist slogans, including "kill the Lebs", "kill the wogs" and "go home Lebby scum".
Two ambulance officers were injured when they came under attack from locals hurling beer bottles. Police used capsicum spray, batons, dogs and mounted patrols to control the crowds and to protect those who were being attacked.
At least eight people had been injured late yesterday, including two ambulance officers, one of whom was struck on the head with a bottle. Thirteen people had been arrested, with at least four charged with either affray or assault.
Speaking before the revenge attacks, NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney condemned the violence as un-Australian, saying he was "ashamed as a man and as the Commissioner of Police".
"By any test, by any measure, that which we have seen here today is clearly un-Australian," he said. "It's not Australian to adopt a mob mentality and assault women. I have never in all my working days seen anything as un-Australian."
He promised more arrests and defended the police response.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said the hooligans would face the full force of the law. "The behaviour of the crowd at Cronulla today was disgraceful, cowardly and will not be allowed to continue," he said. "These hooligans have brought shame upon themselves."
Sutherland Shire Mayor Kevin Screiber also slammed the violent crowd and attacked the racist text messages circulating in the area, which called for "Aussies" to retake the beach by joining "Leb and wog bashing day".
Cronulla locals have been tense since last weekend, when a lifesaver was allegedly bashed by two men of Middle Eastern origin.
They claim increasing numbers of visitors from the western suburbs are abusing women and threatening people at the beach. A mass email and SMS campaign called for a rally yesterday to "reclaim the beach".
Throughout the day the crowd surged towards anyone of Middle Eastern appearance. Two young men were chased into a chicken shop, where they hid from a group that smashed a window. The young men were eventually taken away by police.
Far-Right groups, including Australia First, distributed inflammatory literature at the beach, as did skinhead groups.
Australia First NSW secretary Jim Saleam confirmed that his group had been distributing anti-multicultural and anti-immigrant literature at the beach.
Mr Saleam also confirmed the group had helped mobilise people for the demonstration.
Many youngsters said they were attracted to the event by a sense of nationalism, with people bringing flags and barbecues.
They parked their utes at the beach, with stereos blasting.
Tim Gosper, 19, of Menai in southern Sydney, said he and his friends had come to the beach to "support Australia, support our country, throw a barbie and have a good time".
But he was aware of the anti-Middle Eastern sentiment. "I'm not saying all the wogs and the Lebs are that bad, but there's a certain group who harass and cause trouble," he said.
Another man, who called himself Steely, said: "Our women have been told they're going to be raped because they're wearing bikinis. These people try to stop our way of life."
Locals in Maroubra last night reported gangs of Middle Eastern men walking toward the beach, taking sticks and baseball bats to the cars. Others described a battle on the beachfront and around the Maroubra Bay Hotel.
Estimates of the numbers of men of Middle Eastern descent involved ranged from 50 to 200.
Resident Tom Taylor, 26, said "all of these wogs with baseball bats, probably 50 if not more, came flying around the corner".
"One warned me. He said, 'Mate, you better get out'. Then the others shouted, 'Kill him' and started chasing me down the street. Then the Aussies arrived. "They all came out of the pub and drove them back up the street. One of the Aussies got smashed. They jumped on him. I thought he was dead."
