chochise
12.12.05, 14:56
Racial tensions have erupted into violence at a popular Sydney beach.Some
5,000 people gathered at Cronulla Beach to rally against youth gangs of
Middle East background. It comes after two young surf lifesavers were
attacked last Sunday by a group from Sydney's western suburbs.
Some of the crowd could be heard chanting "No more Lebs (Lebanese)".
Others carried Australian flags and dressed in Australian sports shirts,
yelled: "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie ... Oi, Oi, Oi".
Fighting broke out around lunchtime as the crowd began targeting people of
Middle East appearance.
At one stage an ambulance taking people to hospital was pelted by full
bottles of beer. More than 30 people were injured in the clashes.
Police arrested 28 people for offensive behaviour and assault and blocked
roads into the beach.
"The behaviour that has been seen down here at Cronulla today is nothing
short of disgusting and disgraceful," said assistant police commissioner Mark
Goodwin.
"It is certainly not the Australian way."
Cronulla Beach was the scene of two violent incidents last week - an attack
on two lifeguards on Sunday and a brawl later in the week in which youths
turned on a media crew.
uk.news.yahoo.com/11122005/140/racial-tensions-overflow-sydney.html