Is anyone clear on the original cause here?

ninemsn.com.au are saying that

...a near-riot which erupted after text messages began circulating earlier this week among rival groups urging attacks on each other.

And au.news.yahoo.com report

Earlier in the day thousands of people gathered at the beach in response to calls to retaliate for the bashing of two lifeguards a week ago.

Are there any Ausssies here who can shed some light on the lifeguard incident, was that what sparked this? Are these 'groups' that were urging attacks well known or just appearing in the recent events?

Edited: Thanks AceofBase for the article.

[edit on 11/12/05 by Mark Harris]

Thats crazy man, a race war in Austrailia. Never thought I'd see the day. I'm curious to exactly what has caused this as well.

Originally posted by Mark Harris
Are there any Aussies here who can shed some light on the lifeguard incident, was that what sparked this? Are these 'groups' that were urging attacks well known or just appearing in the recent events?

This has been building up for years. The lifeguard incident was the straw which broke the camels back. Lebanese gangs are becoming more and more prevalent in the news.
About 2 years ago there was a big gang rape case, where a group of Lebanese and Arab youths pack raped 2 girls by knife point. There are more than a few incidents like this.
When I've been in the city ( Sydney ) there are sometimes middle eastern gangs looking to provoke fights. They always travel in groups and pick fights only when they heavily outnumber whoever they're hassling.
They call white Anglo Saxon Australians ' Skips ' referring to the name of a kangaroo on TV called Skippy.

Anyway, I noticed the gutless mob who attacked the life guards didn't have the balls to go back to Cronulla

From what I've been reading, it sounds like a lot of tit-for-tat violence. Whites harass the brown people. The brown people retaliate. It seems like that throughout the world some white people are experiencing growing pains. They aren't used to sharing power. They have been born with a sense of entitlement. That entitlement is being challenged.

We all agree in equality, it's just going to take some time to put it into practice. Some whites are going to feel insecure through the transition phase when they are no longer 'special'.

Although, violence is never the answer to violence. If brown people are being repressed, a movement of civil disobedience and non-violence is always better than violence.

Originally posted by curme
From what I've been reading, it sounds like a lot of tit-for-tat violence. Whites harass the brown people. The brown people retaliate. It seems like that throughout the world some white people are experiencing growing pains. They aren't used to sharing power. They have been born with a sense of entitlement. That entitlement is being challenged.

Ehhh It has been the ' brown ' ( as you like to call them ) people whose youth have been harassing people for years. If you lived in Sydney you'd know what has been going on.

We all agree in equality, it's just going to take some time to put it into practice. Some whites are going to feel insecure through the transition phase when they are no longer 'special'.

What has this got to do with the thread ? White's aren't special

Although, violence is never the answer to violence. If brown people are being repressed, a movement of civil disobedience and non-violence is always better than violence.

Blah, more BS. The 'brown' people aren't being repressed sheesh

Originally posted by curme
Whites harass the brown people. The brown people retaliate.

I think you have that backwards in this case.
The 'white' Australians are retliating against the Lebanese gangs who have been harassing them for years.

Originally posted by curme
From what I've been reading, it sounds like a lot of tit-for-tat violence. Whites harass the brown people. The brown people retaliate. It seems like that throughout the world some white people are experiencing growing pains. They aren't used to sharing power. They have been born with a sense of entitlement. That entitlement is being challenged.

Somehow it's always the white people at fault - at least to some people. In this case, the news reports seem to say otherwise. Hey maybe your bias is showing. Better be careful. On some other ATS threads they're saying that bias is a mental illness.

This a "turf war / gang" issue. The reason why it happened at the beach is because it's summer here and that was deemed to be the place to have a 'punch up' by both parties. (via text sms)

If it was winter, the same 'turf wars' would be happening in certain suburbs (not the beach) all over Australia. Albeit on a smaller scale, but the rivalry and intent is the same.

Unfortunately, this mentality is as old as time itself.

Sanc'.

None For All

Originally posted by curme
We all agree in equality, it's just going to take some time to put it into practice.

With all due respect, I have seen nothing whatsoever at any time in my four decades of life to so much as suggest this is true.

It's a statement of principle, and one I consider noble in theory, but it is not a concept everyone agrees with.

On the contrary, only a small and diminishing minority hold this view, and apparently do so at their peril.

There has never been a time in human history when everyone lived in harmony, and we are certainly in no danger of that suddenly changing now.

Not that I'm happy about it, but rather the fact that it isn't my choice to make.

And the beat goes on.

What a sad day to be an Ozzie !!!!!!!!!!. Im ashamed to be an Australian !!!!....We start a massive riot over a simple figth involving youths. YET our government takes away our civil rigths and work place reforms and we could care less ???. this whole thing is orcestrated by the govenment and we swallowed it up by the spoon full.

Originally posted by helium3
What a sad day to be an Ozzie !!!!!!!!!!. Im ashamed to be an Australian !!!!....We start a massive riot over a simple figth involving youths.

I'm proud of the Aussies for standing up for themselves today.
This wasn't just about a couple of innocent lifeguards gettnig beaten up for no reason.
It was about finally saying that enough is enough and the Lebanese gangs can't keep harassing the locals and beating up on them.

Originally posted by helium3
YET our government takes away our civil rigths and work place reforms and we could care less ???. this whole thing is orcestrated by the govenment and we swallowed it up by the spoon full.

Mate use some common sense. DO you really think this whole thing was orchestrated by the government ? Well it hasn't, these tensions have been going on for years, long before John Howard was in power
I think you know this though, don't you

[edit on 11-12-2005 by mad scientist]

Originally posted by AceOfBase

I'm proud of the Aussies for standing up for themselves today.
This wasn't just about a couple of innocent lifeguards gettnig beaten up for no reason.
It was about finally saying that enough is enough and the Lebanese gangs can't keep harassing the locals and beating up on them.

Are you even from Australia AceOfBase ? I have been here 26 years and never had a proplems with Lebanese gangs. I live in the eastern subrbs and this is the first time we have had this proplem. Anyone who live on the eastern beaches will know THE REAL PROPLEM is drunk british backpackers at coogee beach drinking. These british backpackers are a massive proplem have started several massive brawls bringing Coogee to a holt and leaving innocent police in hospital. Am i sick of Lebanese gangs ? NO. Have i enough of british backpackers harassing the locals and beating up on them YES !



[edit on 11-12-2005 by helium3]

Originally posted by helium3
Are you even from Australia AceOfBase ? I have been here 26 years and never had a proplems with Lebanese gangs.

No I'm not Australian.
I'm just someone who's sick of muslim immigrants engaging in this same type of behavior in almost every western country they move into. France, Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, etc...

[edit on 11-12-2005 by AceOfBase]

Originally posted by AceOfBase


I'm just someone who's sick of muslim immigrants engaging in this same type of behavior in almost every western country they move into. France, Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, etc...

[edit on 11-12-2005 by AceOfBase]

Once again AceOfBase you are wrong, Maybe do some research so you dont look like a ignorant bigot. Most of the lebanese in the south, south/west suburbs of sydney in question are christians.

Do you think that these were Christian Lebanese doing this and yelling in Arabic while they were smashing cars?

Please these are Arabic people should they be yelling chinese ?. Can you tell someone is a muslim because they speak Arabic ? I guess all those indonesian muslims are not muslim because they speak indonesian and not Arabic

On other discussions on this, on the Internet, I've heard the problems come primarily from the muslim gangs.

on the Internet i have heard that elvis is still alive do you believe that ? The greatest waste is a good brain please use the one your got !



[edit on 11-12-2005 by helium3]

Originally posted by helium3

Please these are Arabic people should they be yelling chinese ?. Can you tell someone is a muslim because they speak Arabic ? I guess all those indonesian muslims are not muslim because they speak indonesian and not Arabic

In Lebanon people speak French, English and Arabic.
It was my understanding that French and English are more popular amongst the Lebanese Christians while Arabic is more popular amongst the Lebanese muslims.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[edit on 11-12-2005 by AceOfBase]