Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

I take interest in this topic as it is somewhat close to home. A few months before the riots I was on Cronulla beach, and had some trouble with a gang of middle eastern youths. It was scary and I can completely understand why the locals were fed up. It was rife leading up to the riots.

I think people are forgetting what this problem was about in the first place, and what the result of the riots meant for Cronulla. It ceased the issues involving groups of middle eastern gangs causing trouble in the area.

Fast forward 10 years and you have agressive left wingers and halal free BBQ springing up all over Cronulla. None of the organisers live in Cronulla, the groups all transported in from all over the place. There were no people of middle eastern appearance either. There were no surfy locals.

Its very interesting watching something that was never the issue in the first place (Islam) evolve into something far removed from the original problem.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

A couple of weeks ago, 60 Minutes had a story on a young couple that met at the beach that day. They were invited by mutual friends and when they realised things were getting ugly, they left and went to a local golf club for the day. The guy was walking the girls home when a car stopped, asked if they had been to the beach, and when he replied "don't go down there, it's horrible", a pile of young guys jumped out of the car and stabbed him multiple times - he survived but only just. They're married and have a couple of kids now. A very memorable first date.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Yes the whole thing at the time was not a great look at the time, from all sides, but kicked off in the first place by groups of young middle eastern men who had a long history of not knowing how to behave and finished with a very peaceful Cronulla beach which has largely been that way for the last 10 years.

What staggers me is the current form of religious and racial protesters, from both sides, even the hard line, mask wearing, anarchists, who used the 10 years, to do their thing.

10 years on and the locals could not care less. Nor could Punchbowl.

There were 2 arrested over the weekend. Both lefties, one from down the south coast and one from the other end of Sydney.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Just so you don't win the 2015 lowest views to posts ratio I'll contribute. :rofl:

120 anti-Islamers and 150 anti-fascists turn up vastly outnumbered by police; both sides are idiots masquerading under banners - try Belfast on July 12th or an Old Firm match for a bit of 'atmosphere' which is not really about religion but an excuse for a fight, show your bigotry or whatever is in their mind.

You say middle eastern when I'd guess a high proportion were born in the western suburbs of Sydney. Middle Eastern appearance perhaps?

To me there's not much difference between groups gathering at Cronulla and Mods vs Rockers (UK) or Mods vs Sharpies (Australia) gathering at beaches as long ago as the 60's and 70's i.e. youth have been gathering under some banner/label/style/culture at beaches looking for trouble for yonks. Different groups, same excuse to have some trouble.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Well it was inevitable you would not be able you help yourself. Which are you referring to? The gathering in 2005 or the gathering in 2015? The 2015 gathering was a bit of a joke and its location choice was poor. The 2005 gathering was ugly but served its purpose.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

From this footage it looks like the 2015 episode was just a confrontation between bogans and Australia haters. Embarrassing on the one side and shameful on the other.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Was in the US, turned on the news, saw some rioting... and then suddenly realised it was all happening in Cronulla, a second home of sorts for me. Remember it to this day.

What happened to you in the months leading up to the riots? During which time of day did you encounter trouble there, and what happened and where?

I'm always the last person to lay blame on a certain group of people, especially having lived in Singapore and getting along with everyone, but it does seem like some people overstepped their bounds over in Cronulla and got a deserved lesson. Though one does have to feel sorry for the collateral damage in the form of those who were not even remotely involved in all of this...

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Mid afternoon. Was out visiting from the UK, staying with some friends in Cronulla. My girlfriend at the time and the female friend were sunbathing on the beach and the male friend and I were out in the surf. We could see this group of 4 young middle eastern blokes crowding around the girls. We swam in and by the time we got there they we kicking sand all over them. There were a few punches thrown and a couple of other fella's who were on the beach with their families joined in, they became outnumbered so they ran.

Apparently they propositioned the girls and when they were rejected the insecurities came out and the answer to rejection was kick sand.

I saw other incidents there over the years too.


I agree, but it was groups of middle eastern young men causing the trouble. I don't know what country they were from or what religion they were but the first thing the cop says is "describe your attacker". Middle Eastern and young is a fair description in my view.

Anyhow all that is over now. The groups have moved on to more mature things, work, families, organised crime, and Cronulla is back to being a pleasant place.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Well, I'm glad you finished on that note as I'm staying there in a few weeks :lol:

A friend from Melbourne told me I must be mad. She said about the riots. A relative who stayed there last year said it's really nice. I've gone with the relative's view. Hope I am right.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

I owned a home in Cronulla when this happened. It suffered a lot of damage. I also attended the TSR briefings as I had an invite from a senior policeman (and friend).

The clubby that was attacked was also a member of my board riding club at the time. I did not know him well. It was not a pleasant time and one that few on here actually were directly involved with like I was.

It was not a pleasant time. :(

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Cronulla is fine now.

They have a great chippy here from which you can eat at one of the park table and benches which overlooks the beach. My family go there whenever we travel down from Canberra, we always enjoy it :thumbup:

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

I went down there a few weeks back to see some friends. Its a great place to go. So much outdoorsy stuff to do. Good restaurants, cafes and the like.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Thanks guys. And thanks for the link Paulry. I shall have a virtual explore around the place.

My first time in Oz :p so looking forward to it.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

I've been going there for Christmas almost every year for the past few decades. My grandmother still lives there and my parents spend 4-5 months there each year, though when moving (or rather returning) to Australia myself there was no way I was going to be stuck in that place after discovering the Gold Coast.

Of course opinions are always going to be relative, so although it might be nice in terms of where to be in Sydney, I find it dull and uneventful compared to the Gold Coast. :)

As for good restaurants... no comment. :zzz: I believe the phrase should be regarded as an oxymoron when discussing the vast majority of venues Down Under.

Re: Cronulla Riots 10 Years
 

Tend to agree with the above and previous posts. One thing I think really helped Aus get through this... and it's something that I know sends UK Migrants mad, especially the new ones. It's the "She'll be right" attitude which often is taken as an apathy in most of the general populous. Despite the beat ups by the press and in particular Alan Jones, people for the most part ignored it. I think it may well have been bigger news overseas to some degree, than here in Aus.

If you look back then, I was posting about what was happening in Melbourne around our supposed hot spots. In particular around Broadmeadows Train station where there were large groups of Middle Eastern Types waiting to fight 'opposing' people in large numbers of cars that had come from all around the Northern burbs..... No one bothered with erm down here....To the extent that they didn't bother in the end either.

"She'll be right" won the day.