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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Night of retribution Night of retribution By ANGELA KAMPER December 13, 2005 ROCKS were hurled, blood was shed and young men armed with bats and iron bars laid siege to Cronulla as a second wave of racial violence swept Sydney last night. Police ordered scores of trouble makers to the ground at gunpoint in a bid to regain control following a day of rising tension across the city. The first flashpoint was Lakemba, where a small group of Caucasian men began vandalising cars near the mosque. A crowd of about 500 local men quickly gathered, some of them turning on the interlopers while others threw missiles at police. Shortly afterwards carloads of Lakemba men headed for Cronulla and nearby suburbs, bashing passers-by and smashing shops and vehicles. Although intent on destruction, dozens of the intruders were arrested as they ran into a massive police net strung across Cronulla, Brighton-le-Sands and Maroubra. The violence began at the Lakemba mosque, where hundreds of local men gathered before a hard core of hotheads drove east late in the evening. About 70 car-loads hit Cronulla soon after 10 o'clock. Police had already began sealing off roads into the beach suburb. Within 20 minutes police were responding to reports of assaults, vandalism, men on the streets with baseball bats, bashings and shots being fired. A number of cars were stopped by police, with guns drawn. Drivers and passengers were swiftly dragged on to the pavement and arrested. At one stage police were chasing a Ford Laser which had tried to run down officers. "Get out of the car, get out of the car," officers yelled at the driver when he was stopped minutes later on Elouera Rd. A man and a youth with their hands up got out of car and were forced to the ground at gunpoint. Cars and shops were randomly damaged by intruders with metal bars and garbage bins. Locals stood on their balconies cheered as men were arrested. "Stay inside, you are not helping," one officer told residents, who swore about "bloody Lebs". Several ambulance crews were dispatched to the area with at least one man bashed on the Kingsway taken to hospital. Up to 80 parked cars were vandalised. One resident watched from his house as youths used his Holden Commodore "like a trampoline." "They were shouting 'Come out and fight us'," he added. About 20 car-loads of yobs then drove on to Brighton-le-Sands and began smashing windows. A five-month-old baby was narrowly missed by a bottle thrown through a unit window. As little Caleb's distressed mother shook with shock early today, his furious father said: "It could have killed him." Asked if he had a message for the attackers, the father said: "I want to deliver that in person". In Maroubra, officers packed empty streets waiting for the retaliation after hearing what happened in the south – and in the wake of Sunday's havoc. Following a week of building tension – sparked by the bashing of two lifesavers by youths [18 and 20] of Middle Eastern descent and exacerbated by countless tales of beachgoers being harassed by such thugs – crowds of drunk, angry white Australians rampaged through Cronulla beating people of Lebanese appearance. That night carloads of such men hit Maroubra in revenge. Early yesterday the leaders of Maroubra's surf gang the 'Bra Boys held peace talks with Lebanese community leaders. Despite the talks, by last night a group of up to 60 locals were gathered on McKeon St near the Maroubra Bay Hotel. About 7pm police had reports bricks had been stockpiled on the roofs of nearby shops and had also confiscated 10 metal bars. At the same time trouble began in Lakemba when local police were sent to the Lakemba mosque to check a disturbance, apparently sparked by white men smashing cars. Hundreds of angry locals swamped the streets and riot-trained Operational Support Group officers had to be dispatched after a female officer broke her leg and others received cuts and bruises in scuffles.
Poster Comment: One resident watched from his house as youths used his Holden Commodore "like a trampoline." Apparently white men can jump after all.
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