"There was some sort of discrepancy and argument over the fare," a South Australian police spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity
Police have releases a sketch of the suspect 
Posted on 12/13/2005 7:29:00 AM PST by 1066AD
Australian Unrest Spreads to Other Cities Dec 13, 7:36 AM (ET)
By MIKE CORDER
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - The racial unrest that broke out in Sydney's beachside suburbs over the weekend has spread to two other large Australian cities, where people of Middle Eastern descent were assaulted by whites, police said Tuesday.
In New South Wales, where Sydney is located, lawmakers scheduled an emergency session of the state Parliament to consider legislation cracking down on the rioters who rampaged through the city's suburbs for two straight nights, the region's premier said.
Seven people were injured and 11 arrested after youths rioted in the suburbs Monday night, smashing the windows of stores, homes and parked cars. The youths appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, leading police to believe the destruction was in response to racially fueled attacks on a Sydney beach a day earlier.
Calling the rioters "ratbags," New South Wales premier Morris Iemma said police would be given special "lockdown" powers to stop convoys from forming and driving into communities to carry out acts of retribution. He also said he would urge lawmakers to pass legislation toughening prison sentences for rioting offenses.
Opposition lawmakers have already called for tough new laws and are expected to support the legislation. The state Parliament session is scheduled for Thursday.
"I won't allow Sydney's reputation as a tolerant, vibrant international city to be tarnished by these ratbags and criminals who want to engage in the sort of behavior we've seen in the last 48 hours," Iemma said.
He added that rioters had "effectively declared war on our society and we won't be found wanting in our response."
The rioting began Sunday on Cronulla Beach when about 5,000 white youths, many drunk and wrapped in Australian flags, attacked people believed to be of Arab or Middle Eastern descent after rumors spread that Lebanese youths had assaulted two lifeguards earlier this month.
Police, who had stepped up patrols on the beach after learning of cell phone text messages urging people to retaliate for the attack on the lifeguards, fought back with batons and pepper spray.
Carloads of young Arab men then struck back in several Sydney suburbs, fighting with police for hours and smashing dozens of cars with sticks and bats, police said. Thirty-one people were injured and 16 arrested in the first day of unrest.
On Monday, police said they discovered weapons including firebombs and rocks on the roofs of some houses in the beachside suburb of Maroubra. Some of those arrested were armed with machetes and baseball bats.
Elsewhere, Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio reported Tuesday that a family of Middle Eastern origin was attacked in the western city of Perth by a group of 11 white men, who threw eggs, shouted abuse and kicked their garage door.
The 42-year-old father, who did not want to be identified, said his family was badly shaken by Monday night's incident.
"I don't know if we were mistakenly identified," he said. "What I definitely know is it was something linked to the escalation in New South Wales."
Perth police Superintendent Shayne Maines said authorities could not rule out a link between the attack and the racial violence in Sydney. "There was some suggestion they did make ethnically-related comments to the occupant of the house," Maines said.
In Adelaide, a taxi driver of Lebanese origin, Hossein Kazemi, was injured when he was punched by a passenger during an incident Tuesday.
"There was some sort of discrepancy and argument over the fare," a South Australian police spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity. "Apparently during the assault, the victim, because he was of Lebanese origin, was taunted about the stuff in Sydney and Cronulla beach."
More violence seemed likely. New text messages circulated Monday, one of which called for more fighting next weekend: "We'll show them! It's on again Sunday."
Another message warned of possible retaliation from Middle Eastern groups.
"The Aussies will feel the full force of the Arabs as one - 'brothers in arms' unite now," the message said.
Prime Minister John Howard has defended Australia's policy of tolerance, noting the nation has successfully absorbed millions of foreigners. Before leaving Tuesday for a summit of Asian nations in Malaysia, he said he didn't believe the rioting would affect Australia's overseas reputation in the long-term.
"You have outbreaks of domestic discord that happens to every country and when it occurs there's publicity, but people make a judgment about this country over a longer term," he said.
Television images of the violence shocked Australians who pride themselves on their tolerance and credit an influx of immigrants with helping build up the country in the post-World War II years.
However, tensions between youths of Arab and Middle Eastern descent and white Australians have been rising in recent years, largely because of anti-Muslim sentiment fueled by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States and deadly bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, in October 2002.
In the 2001 census, nearly a quarter of Australia's 20 million people said they were born overseas. The country has about 300,000 Muslims, most in lower income suburbs of large cities.
The unrest recalled three weeks of rioting in France that began in the suburbs of Paris on Oct. 27 and spread nationwide, baring frustration in communities with high immigrant and Muslim populations.
Might get really interesting, NSW Premier says: "I won't allow Sydney's reputation as a tolerant, vibrant international city to be tarnished by these ratbags and criminals who want to engage in the sort of behavior we've seen in the last 48 hours."
He added that rioters had "effectively declared war on our society and we won't be found wanting in our response."
Crikey.
They still don't have a critical mass - there may be hope for Australia (unlike France)
Wasn't there a recent trial for a gang-rape by a group of Lebanese "youths"?
Maybe that is fueling the fire, as well. IIRC, one of the accused was admonishing his victim during the trial for not dressing correctly and drinking. His lawyer tried to argue that his Islamic upbringing caused him to think that the rape was ok, therefore he was not culpable.
Australia ain't France, that's for sure.
Oz turning into France?
Multiculturalism at work. Coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
Yes, and there's been many more than one over the last few years.
Tip #1: Don't allow any more Muslims into your country.
Tip #2: Deport the Muslims that are there illegally back to their countries of origin.
Welcome to the press veil mates.
As much as I don't like Muslims, there will probably be an incident were a Lebanese Christian gets caught up in this violence. Just because someone "looks" Arab, doesn't mean he is a Muslim.
lol
I cannot believe how biased this article was and I am one cynical dude.
This is true.There are certainly many Arab Christians and most of them,no doubt,are very decent and respectable people.
Does that imply that you would be unsympathetic to innocent Muslims being roughed up by drunken skinheads?
Good point.
The Lebanese Christians are not the "youths" rioting.
Of course the liberal press does not want to report the acitons of the religion of peace. The gang rapes, the bombs, the torture, the slaughter of Christians in Australia -- only the actions of the Christians and Jews standing up for their rights and fighting back -- liberalism is a MENTAL DISORDER!
Any assault is unjust, and it should be prosecuted. However, experiences tells you that wherever Muslims go, trouble follows. Ask the islanders of Mindanao, where my dad's family is from.
This is JUST the kind of thing the young Arab asshole militants (This includes young asshole militants of every ilk, religion, race and ethnicity, btw.) THRIVE on..."striking back." So, the non-Arabs (Read that as "white" in this scenario.) look like the bad guys from now on.
The "rumors" of the Lebanese men attacking the lifeguard won't ever be substantiated because. The middle-easterns now become the victims of the nasty white Aussies.
I'm just predicting the predictability of the MSM throughout the world.
Things and people never change.
I hope none of the Aussie police get hurt. The Thin Blue Line always takes the brunt of the pain and suffering.
Rumors? They are suggesting that no lifeguards were assaulted.
The same media that thinks it's justified and reasonable for Moslems to rampage after mere rumors of a Koran in the potty.
Lol. Imagine this appearing on the fr. All true, of course. The next thing you'll be reading is that "not all Muslims are militant or terrorists." < sarcasm >
Sometimes Mexicans and other brunette, mustached folks get taken for Arabs. I mean the men....of course. :o) Harhar.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oy, Oy, Oy.
I think you might be wrong there.For some time,I've fantasized about living in Australia for a time.I've made multiple visits to the Australian government's Immigration Dept website as a result of that fantasy.
The thing that leaps out at me on this website is the fact that you can't find a paragraph on it that doesn't sing the praises of "multicultural Australia".
Drunken Skinheads?
You've been drinking the koolaid.
The non-muslim rioters are of various ethnicities with various hair lenghts...
Several common threads to France, the UK, and elsewhere, especially the "disaffected youths" and "low income" descriptions. I don't live in Australia, but I'd bet that, like the US, if they are "low income" it's because of choice, not fate or Aussie discrimination. From what I can tell, they seem to live in these little closed societies within the rest of the cities (UK, France, Oz, etc.) and thus end up having limited opportunities.
I see it sometimes even with Hispanic communities in this country: they don't want to learn the language, associate with Americans, learn our customs--they want, many times, to simply turn the country into another Mexico or Honduras or whatever country they're from. They shut themselves off, and in so doing, shut off opportunities to progress economically and in other ways.
I'd love to spend time in Oz, too, but aside from the "multi-culturism," the anti-gun sentiments and laws turned me off.
I doubt Oz will roll-over like Frances did. Lets see what happens next weekend.
No.
It is _Islam_, and Muslims, who have "declared war" on [their] society, religion, culture, and freedoms. The Aussie rioters are doing what is normal and natural - and I daresay, proper - to do when one's society, culture, religion and freedoms are attacked, and when the powers-that-be (that is to say, the government) will not step up to the plate and vigorously defend such principles against those who seek to take them away.
There will be many who will respond with the usual evasive manuever:
"I don't condone rioting myself, but...."
Well, I'm going to step over the line and say that I _do_ condone it, when it is our side that the rioting serves to protect and defend, ESPECIALLY since too many governments, hamstrung by political correctness, refuse to protect our Euro/Judeo-Christian democratic culture, instead passing a slew of "hate-crime" laws. And find that, as the Islamic population grows, so do the "hate crimes" - only they are being perpetrated _by_ Islamics against non-Islamics.
What is going on is low-level Civil War, without uniforms.
If it is thwarted at this stage, sooner or later, the level of war will escalate (as it did in France).
We shall see...
- John
Hey guys, I found a messageboard full of Aussie surfers talking about Cronulla etc, check it out:
http://forum.realsurf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5392
I lived in Australia from 1968 to 1981. I went back for a month long visit this past April. I was stunned by the number of Chinese people I saw there. The place is running over with Chinese and other East Asians (Koreans, Vietnamese, etc.). As far as I could tell these "ethnics" were decent, productive citizens. It was suprising to my ears to hear Orientals speaking with an Australian accent.
Like you say, it's a festering sore and not just in Australia and France.
Like you say, it's a festering sore and not just in Australia and France.
bttt
Holy crap, check out this thread. Check out the whole forum, lots of info you won't get from the press here:
http://forum.realsurf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5380
My understanding is that many are not even really Lebanese, but rather Palestinians, from the "camps" in Lebanon, where many of them, or their parents, were banished to from Jordan after King Hussein had enough of their trouble-making.
At least that's what I found around Sydney (and I'm not talking about Double Bay,that's for sure!).
I have a friend in Sydney. The muslim crime spree (reminicent of France) has been going on for some time. Young white girls are not safe there anymore. It's been this type of behavior that has finally pushed the Aussie's over the top. The muzzies have sown the wind, and now they'll reap the whirlwind!
The probelm, and I hope AU avoids it, is that politicians cater to the law and order types and will make the muslims look like the victims of white hate crimes. The government promise they will do something, but don't and then punish the people that stand up to the evil muslims. Hopefully, the Aussies will deal with the muslims as well as placating elements of their government.
Police have releases a sketch of the suspect
sorry RAPED
the first "mistaken appearance" attack has occurred. In Cronulla, committed by muslim jihaders in revenge for the attcaks on them by whites. The victim was a video store (owner/employee?). From appearance I'd guess she was Thai or Vietnamese
More rioting drunk white guys.
You notice that when minorities burn cars and smash things it's a "demonstration".
A gentleman I play Everquest with is an ethnic Japanese living there....I'd heard his voice over various voice chat apps long before I saw his pic or he mentioned anything about himself....needless to say after hearing that Aussie accent I was stunned when I saw the pic.
He's a very well-off IT guy with an absolute genius knack for puters...yeah, yeah, I know, Japanese and gadgets goes together well. :-)
The Aussies have the same problem we do. The first enemy is the media, the second their government. With those two out of the way, the Mohammedans would be a piece of cake.
What they need is tough immigration laws, which they'll never get, instead they'll get a police state in an vain attempt to control the results of a lack of tough immigration laws.
In the 2001 census, nearly a quarter of Australia's 20 million people said they were born overseas.
Break out the fork, Martha.
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