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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Parents fear for safety of children Parents fear for safety of children By LUKE McILVEEN and STEVE GEE December 09, 2005 PARENTS fear their children could be caught up in a day of violence at North Cronulla beach on Sunday, where hundreds of children will take part in a nippers carnival. Local surfers have been urged to confront Middle Eastern gangs at the beach at midday, but families are worried their children may become innocent victims of the racial tensions sweeping the area. Sutherland Mayor Kevin Schreiber said the junior lifesaving carnival would go ahead but parents were unsure whether they would take the risk of encountering "those looking to settle things themselves". "I can understand the Shire community is feeling under threat, but it is critical that people don't take matters into their own hands and escalate the potential for violence further," Mr Schreiber said. "There is no room for vigilantes." Only senior lifesavers will be on patrol at Cronulla this weekend, a direct response to the bashing of two teenage volunteers by Middle Eastern gangs last Sunday. Text messages continued to circulate around the Shire yesterday urging locals to attack Middle Eastern visitors to the beach this weekend. Local shopkeepers said they were not surprised by the outbreak of violence. "Everyone knows when it's summer it begins," said Collette, who works at the Cronulla Beach Cafeteria. "But what's happened lately, it's disgusting." Collette, who did not want to give her surname, said while no one condoned calls from locals to retaliate with violence in the wake of ongoing harassment of local girls and attacks on lifesavers, the reaction of local youths was understandable. "The kids really care a lot about where they live and their environment, she said. "The surf here, they're here all the time and they want visitors to show respect. It's not about protecting what we know is not ours, its about protecting something that is sacrosanct." Other shopkeepers, while reluctant to be identified for fear or reprisals said they were alarmed at the escalation of violence. "I think people are feeling a bit nervous," said one. "We definitely need more police. The situation where girls are being harassed and what happened to the lifesavers has to be stopped." The threats of revenge attacks is also concerning local youths of Middle Eastern background not involved in this week's assaults, who fear being attacked because of their heritage. Chris Laudhan, 16, from Hurstville, said he was concerned about being targeted by vigilante locals because of his ethnicity. "We think what they did (to the lifesavers) was stupid but this is affecting everyone," he said.
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