Pollies slam violent Sydney protest

16 Sep 2012, 4:55 pm   -   Source: AAP

Australia's political leaders have joined together in chorus to condemn the violence from Muslim protesters in Sydney on Saturday.

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Australian politicians have condemned the violent protests in Sydney that were sparked by an anti-Islamist video, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard declaring the street battle with police as "not the Australian way".

Six police officers along with 17 other people were injured during clashes outside the US consulate in Sydney on Saturday.

Ms Gillard said she was appalled by a photo of a child at the protest carrying a sign calling for people who insult the prophet Mohammed to be beheaded.

"I do not want to see in the hands of anyone, particularly children, offensive signs that call for the killing of others," Ms Gillard told reporters in Brisbane.

"This is not the Australian way."

The first of six men charged over the violence appeared in Parramatta Bail Court via videolink on Sunday, and was denied bail due to previous breaches for drink driving.

The protest came after a violent attack last week in Libya on the US embassy claimed the life of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other embassy staff.

Ms Gillard said the film at the centre of the protests was "truly repulsive" but there was no excuse for violent behaviour.

"To anybody who wants to replicate that behaviour today, I just want to say very strongly that this kind of conduct has no place on the streets of our country," she said.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said newcomers to Australia weren't expected to surrender their heritage, but were expected to surrender their hatreds.

"I think that's the message that has got to go from every Australian to those people on the streets of Sydney yesterday," he told reporters in Sydney.

"I don't believe we saw an acceptable face of Islam yesterday."

Mr Abbott's call to revoke the visa of the leader of British Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir, Taji Mustafa, looked unlikely to gain federal government support.

The group had regularly been on the record calling for the destruction of Israel and some of its leaders had called for violence against Australian troops in Afghanistan, he said.

"I don't think we need the preachers of hate in this country," he said.

Ms Gillard said Australia had tight laws on people who urge violence, and tight laws on people who incite terrorism, but didn't say she would act against Mr Mustafa.

"The organisation that he has come to visit is not a proscribed terrorist organisation, not here in Australia, not here in the United States, not in the United Kingdom, and was not under the Howard government," she told reporters in Brisbane.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said the demonstrations on Saturday had been organised by a small group who wanted more extremism and hatred in the air.

"Not for one moment should people believe the Muslims you go to school with or go and work next to have their views represented by those hot-headed extremists we saw yesterday," he said.

Senator Carr said he had urged Australian missions around the world to redouble their efforts to encourage dialogue between faiths.

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