Anti-Muslim riots erupt in Sydney 12-12-2005 10:00:00 AM GMT
Thousands of drunken white men converged on the Cronulla Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday and attacked people of Arabic and Middle Eastern appearance.
Reports say the alcohol-fuelled violence spread to a second beach suburb, Maroubra, by Sunday night.
Police detained 28 people in the violent riots, which wounded 31 people, including two ambulance officers and five policemen, New South Wales police said in a statement.
The Australian authorities condemned the racial violence as "not the Australian way", describing the riots as "disgusting and disgraceful."
On Monday, police formed a strike force to arrest those involved in the violence.
"Let's be very clear, the police will be unrelenting in their fight against these thugs and hooligans," New South Wales state political leader Morris Iemma said.
The riots "showed the ugly side of racism in this country", he added.
Iemma also said that Muslim and community leaders from the suburbs hit by riots will meet in a bid to ease tensions.
Meanwhile, the head of the Islamic Friendship buttociation of Australia, Keysar Trad, accused the media of fueling racial tension.
"Sections of the media took this issue far too far, and one can only surmise that the way these issues was dealt with on talk-back radio amounts to incitement," he said.
Source: BBC
