Sydney riots - December 2005

The riot that started on Sunday 11 December as a demonstration to claim the Cronulla beach in Sydney by young Australians has featured in newspaper headlines across the nation. Headlines that accused the youth of racism at Cronulla on Sunday ignored the past tensions - including the bashing of two lifeguards the week before by a Middle Eastern gang and the intimidation and abuse dished out to locals by visiting Muslim youth.

Muslim youth retaliated the following night... Strong police presence the next night has halted the violence...

Peter has written a response to the situation, focusing on the impact of Islam on our nation and the need for immigrants to assimilate into our way of life. It is attached below. It begins....

Were the Sydney riots 'Racism'?
"Whilst we would never condone the sort of violence that erupted in Sydney on Sunday, there is a real need for all Australians to understand what brought it about. It was a wrong response to a widespread problem that needs exposing before it gets worse.
Many people are stating that it was racism - Muslims and Lebanese people are crying 'foul play' and saying they are all being branded because of a few. On one side, anger and frustration have taken over, and on the other side the victim mentality overrides everything - both responses prevent a clear perspective of why this is really happening..........."

Andrew Bolt's response...
Andrew Bolt has written an insightful response.
It begins... It's time to think
"THESE talks between big-wave surfing champion Koby Abberton and Lebanese "leader" Keysar Trad to end Sydney's latest tribal riots will fail, of course.
But still they may help -- by showing just some of the hundred troubles that created this disaster and the hundred hard steps we must take to avoid even worse.
Yes, it's that complicated. Things this bad usually are. So ignore the one-issue parrots who screech "We're all racists", or "End Muslim immigration now". The fools. ......"
Click here to read it...

Tim Priest on policing in Sydney
One of the commentators on this situation is former policeman Tim Priest.
He wrote a very insightful article in Quadrant in November 2003 on the failure of police to deal with "Middle eastern organised crime" in Sydney.
The Rise of Middle Eastern Crime in Australia
Quadrant Magazine Society January 2004 - Volume XLVIII Number 1-2
Click here to read his article.