Racial Riots in Sydney

[zorg]

I couldn't find a thread for this, but if there is one, my apologies.

Is anyone directly involved? Do you live in sydney or anything? What are everyones opinions on it? (I hope everyones against it!)

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17551372-2,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17546783-2,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4522326.stm
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/12/12/australia.racial.unrest.ap/index.html

Just a few links if you happen to not watch the news or anything.

[ria]

Oh god... those riots disgust me. I'm not much of a news reader, but I heard about them on Monday and just think they're digusting... completely and totally dispicable... that people can be so horrible towards others because of their race....

Oh, and I live in Sydney, in case no one already knew. Not anywhere near the past riots, but it still unnerves me to think about what would happen if rioting began in my area.

[coming2atvnearu]

What I find idiotic is the lack of interest on the part of the North American main stream. Usually we get a 15 second blurb without any context, and just generic chaos shots. The average North American probably doesn't know which race is rioting against which at this point.

[ria]

From what I've heard from a friend on Monday, cause I personally don't know much about the issue. This all began with new transport developments, allowing people from the west (in this case, mainly Lebanese and Middle Eastern people) access to the beach around Cronulla and other areas near there.

The people who live at those beaches (my friend classified them as snobby) are rich people who seem to think that because their property is near the beach they own the beach, and they have an extreme hatred of other people coming to 'their' beaches. Things just escalated from there.

[Igg]

I find it odd how many people don't realise how big a problem this is in Australia.

[Hyperion]

The abhorrence of rampant bigotry and ignorance so incredible Godzilla would have to come from under the ocean to battle it in an age when information hasn't been easier to come by and the world has become smaller.

[Asthaloth]

I find it odd how many people don't realise how big a problem this is in Mankind

Edited for accuracy.
Were Xenophobic, it's in our nature, without it we would be dead.

It is however a shame that noone knows about such things occuring, if i asked anyone at college what it was about, i doubt any of them would even be aware of these riots.
It must be nice to live in a world that isn't falling apart at the seems.

(for the record ive no idea what theyre about, nor do i especially care)

[zorg]

From what I've heard from a friend on Monday, cause I personally don't know much about the issue. This all began with new transport developments, allowing people from the west (in this case, mainly Lebanese and Middle Eastern people) access to the beach around Cronulla and other areas near there.

The people who live at those beaches (my friend classified them as snobby) are rich people who seem to think that because their property is near the beach they own the beach, and they have an extreme hatred of other people coming to 'their' beaches. Things just escalated from there.

Yea, alot of non-white people started going to this beach, and alot of gang like violence flared up causing some occasional conflict and abuse. Then a few nights ago two lebanese youths beat up 2 lifeguards, not because of race or anything. Then it kind of escalated.

But some things that the *white* australian are saying, there was a woman in late twenties with a child saying VERY racist comments and talking as if the beach only belonged to white people. Its not very nice

[ria]

From what I've heard from a friend on Monday, cause I personally don't know much about the issue. This all began with new transport developments, allowing people from the west (in this case, mainly Lebanese and Middle Eastern people) access to the beach around Cronulla and other areas near there.

The people who live at those beaches (my friend classified them as snobby) are rich people who seem to think that because their property is near the beach they own the beach, and they have an extreme hatred of other people coming to 'their' beaches. Things just escalated from there.

Yea, alot of non-white people started going to this beach, and alot of gang like violence flared up causing some occasional conflict and abuse. Then a few nights ago two lebanese youths beat up 2 lifeguards, not because of race or anything. Then it kind of escalated.

But some things that the *white* australian are saying, there was a woman in late twenties with a child saying VERY racist comments and talking as if the beach only belonged to white people. Its not very nice

I was quite shocked when I heard about these riots and this racial discrimination. I'm a very racial tolerant (and just about everything else tolerant) person who goes to a multicultural school and I always believed Australians had learned from the past (we've recently been learning about treatment of Aboriginals, and the policies regarding them, the Stolen Generation, etc in school) and then to find out that most Australians (who are *white*) still harbour feelings of superiority and power in a supposed multicultural country and society.... to be honest it makes me feel like throwing up that's how much it disgusts me.

(note: I'm actually a white Australian... just to clarify)

[SpiraLethe]

...And I just watched a Discovery Times programme on hate music all over the world (mostly white supremacy).

[mazil]

It's rather embarassing that something like this can happen in a country that criticises other countries where people are oppressed, and claims it prides itself in multiculturalism (in many tv ads, songs, etc). *hides head*

[wildkitten]

yeah, but our stupid Prime Minister is also quite racist (he many several racist remarks early in his career and totally agreed with Pauline Hanson) and having a racist Prime Minister who is doing nothing to condem what is happening will only make it worse - it'll make it more acceptable. If he was trying to help Australia become a truly multicultural society, he'd first apologise to the Indigenous Australians for the genocide that was committed against them and accept them as fellow Australians. That would set the ground rules and help show that white Australia does not own Australia, it's here to be shared.

[ria]

yeah, but our stupid Prime Minister is also quite racist (he many several racist remarks early in his career and totally agreed with Pauline Hanson) and having a racist Prime Minister who is doing nothing to condem what is happening will only make it worse - it'll make it more acceptable. If he was trying to help Australia become a truly multicultural society, he'd first apologise to the Indigenous Australians for the genocide that was committed against them and accept them as fellow Australians. That would set the ground rules and help show that white Australia does not own Australia, it's here to be shared.

*sigh* But unfortunately we have to wait another few years until the next election, in which time he'll surely do more damage (like those new workplace policies! ) and probably will be voted back in again anyway!

But enough ranting about what a hypocrite our country and its prime minister (and many people as well) are with their racist views and false racial acceptance.

[Christopher]

I wasn't going to talk until some Australians did, but your governments policies include ignoring racial tension, and imprisoning immigrants on small islands. It is not really that suprising that the underlying hate has finally welled up to the surface. Quite frankly there is absolutely 0 chance of Howard not being re-elected from what I've seen.

[Twisted Sanity]

This issue is pretty serious I guess. Serious enough for our school picnic to Cronulla (that's the name of the place where all the riots are taking place) to have been cancelled.

This is stupid though. A couple of idiotic people go and bash up a lifeguard, and everyone treats it like WWIII, and Cronulla as the battleground.

I think the news said something to the extent that over 600 police have been stationed around the hot spots, and all over the general area. And they're 'locking down' the area as well, only letting residents in and out.