Sydney Race Riots

Fall in France has seemingly repeated itself now at the doorstep of winter thousands of kilometers away in the pictoresque city of Sydney. More specifically at Cornulla beach on December 11, Sydney had its very own and shameful "Sydney race riot" . This time the instigators were presumed white supremacists who protested in this disorderly and illegal way their discomfort with Australia's multi culturalism (and/or the Muslim community) and immigration policies.

The Aussie Prime Minister John Howard was quick to condemn the racist attacks saying that any attack on a person "on the basis of their race, their appearance, their ethnicity is totally unacceptable". He also quickly pointed out that these images being broadcast all around the world do not represent the mayority or "mainstream" opinion on race issues of ordinary Australians. Nevertheless, it has been sad to see that being now Wednesday 14th (Thursday 15th in Sydney) the race motivated violence continues and has even escalated. Two Catholic churches, a mosque and a school have been the targets of threats, violence and even shootings. Luckily the heavy police presence in Sydney has still been without incidents of abuse or violence, only arrests and mediation.

What's worrisome, just like in France, is that sometimes the real causes of such violence are ignored. And if Sydney's riots are really about race, then it should worry all Australians that there is fear in other places such as Melbourne and Adelaide, where these riots might spread. Seeing the violence spread beyond Sydney, would truly cement the image that there are large race issues brewing up in Australia.

Australia has always been known to be a lovely country with some of the friendliest and most tolerant people on Earth. That is the Australia I knew and I hope that's the real Australia that lies underneath these riots.

Read what others have to say:
- A good recount of the Race Riots in Australia
- Details of the first day of Anti-Arab Violence in Sydney, Australia
- An excellent discourse about the Cornulla Community and the riots: White Australia Returns

Tags: Current events, International, In the News, News and Politics, Australia , Sydney, Cronulla