SBS50: Biggest Story 2005

In 2005 events in an Australian beachside suburb made headlines around the world. Three off-duty, out-of-uniform lifeguards, had a confrontation with four men of Middle-Eastern appearance, two of the lifeguards hospitalised a reports of community reaction spiralled. Five thousand people showed up at Cronulla beach the following Sunday, December the 11th.

A man tries to hit police with a beer bottle during the Cronulla Beach riot in 2005 Source: AAP

The laid back Sydney beachside suburb of Cronulla exploded – three days of riots and revenge attacks appeared to take police and politicians by surprise.

After a day of drinking, the group attacked a number of people including two boys from Bangladesh.

It was billed as the day that Cronulla residents would take back the beaches, but it soon turned into a riot

Retaliatory attacks by youths of Middle Eastern background followed over the next two nights.

Australian politicians called for calm – but countries like Indonesia and Great Britain issued travel warnings.

In the aftermath, programs were started to help mend the damage – the training of multicultural surf lifeguards; and a local talk-back radio station was found guilty of inciting violence and vilifying people of Lebanese and Middle-Eastern ethnicity.

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