Facebook used to organise Auburn racial riot – police
The Daily Telegraph
September 14, 2009 12:01am
A RIOT by Muslim youths in the western Sydney suburb of Auburn last week was organised via Facebook, police believe.
The troublemakers used the social networking site to flash up inflammatory references to police and rally their friends for a confrontation.
One update identified police as « non-believers » who were raiding a « brother’s home ».
More than 150 people gathered in Cumberland Road, Auburn, on Tuesday night, forcing police to call in 100 officers, the riot squad and a helicopter.
The tense stand-off came after Middle Eastern organised crime squad police raided four homes.
Opposition Police spokesman Mike Gallacher’s office revealed one of the Facebook updates read: « Kefeirs raiding brother’s house, everyone get down hier (sic)!! »
A spokesman for Mr Gallacher said the term used to describe the police had become a slang Arabic term used to describe non-believers.
Mr Gallacher said laws preventing the use of a mobile to call or text others to incite a riot failed to cover social networking sites such as Facebook.
« I don’t think it is an intentional move by people to get around the law — it is the way a lot of younger people contact one another and it would appear there is a loophole in the law, » he said.
« Using Facebook and Twitter and modern technology gives a quicker way of getting messages out to a larger number of people. »
Detective Chief Superintendent Ken McKay said the Middle Eastern organised crime squad was looking into phone communication and would expand the investigation to Facebook.
He said regardless of the laws covering the means of communication, the police could still identify and pursue those responsible for Facebook messages.
« If you incite a riot it doesn’t matter by which means, how you do that is somewhat irrelevant, » Supt McKay said.
And he said he was concerned by the general lack of respect young people from all backgrounds have for authority.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Attorney-General John Hatzistergos also said current laws could be applied, adding: « There is a range of serious offences where people call on others to riot or commit other offences via mobile phone or the internet. »
Facebook’s a riot, literally
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by David Swan
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| Monday, 14 September 2009 |
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Fresh from saving two girls from an Adelaide drain, the changing face of Facebook has taken another turn after the website was used to organise a racially-charged riot in NSW last week
New South Wales Police believe that Muslim youths used Facebook to organise a riot in Sydney’s west last week.
More than 150 trouble-makers gathered in Cumberland Road, Auburn, on Tuesday night, forcing police to call in 100 officers, the riot squad and a helicopter.
The stand-off came after police raided four homes of people believed to be involved in Middle Eastern organised crime.
Opposition Police spokesman Mike Gallacher’s office revealed one of the Facebook updates read: « Kefeirs raiding brother’s house, everyone get down hier!! »
Facebook doesn’t feature spell check.
The spokesman also said that laws preventing the use of a mobile to call or text others to incite a riot neglected to cover social networking sites such as Facebook.
He further commented, « I don’t think it is an intentional move by people to get around the law – it is the way a lot of younger people contact one another and it would appear there is a loophole in the law. »
« Using Facebook and Twitter and modern technology gives a quicker way of getting messages out to a larger number of people. »
More than 150 people responded to the Facebook posts, as they then rallied impromptu groups together in Auburn for the confrontation.
One update identified police as ‘non-believers’ – who were raiding a brother’s home.
The events mirror those seen in Iran earlier this year, as passionate protestors congregated thanks largely to their use of Twitter. This riot in particular also reminds me of Cronulla a few years ago, which involved SMS messages being used to organise a riot not dissimilar to the one seen last week in Auburn |
Auburn riots organised via Facebook
livenews.com.au
14 sptembre 2009
Kefeirs raiding brother’s house, everyone get down hier (sic)
Facebook message
Police have alleged trouble makers used social networking site Facebook to encourage friends and supporters to come to Cumberland St Auburn last week.
A tense stand off developed between onlookers and police after police raided homes in the area.
Some media reports claim some of the Facebook messages referred to police as “unbelievers”.
“Kefeirs raiding brother’s house, everyone get down hier (sic), » read one of the messages.
More than 150 people gathered at Cumberland Rd, Auburn on Tuesday night and there was a tense stand off with police.
Youths use Facebook to organise riot
Monday September 14, 2009
New South Wales Police believe that Muslim youths used Facebook to organise a riot in Sydney’s west last week.
More than 150 people responded to website postings, rallying groups together in Auburn for the confrontation.
One update identified police as ‘non-believers’ – who were raiding a brother’s home.
New laws preventing the use of mobile phones to call or text others for a riot don’t cover various social networking
Angry crowd turns on police in four-hour-standoff
dailytelegraph.com.au
September 14, 2009
POLICE have described a mob that pelted police with bottles in Auburn last night as « cowards » and said they will not be deterred operating in the area.
About 50 officers were taking part in searches on four homes in the area as part of an investigation into the shooting of a 23-year-old man on Sunday night.
One police officer was injured after being struck to the face, requiring treatment at Concord Hospital, with two men charged over the incident.
Chief Superintendent Ken McKay, acting commander of the State Crime Command, denied police were heavy handed in the incident and said the show of force ensured the mob of 150 people did not get out of hand.
« We are driven by our intelligence. We’re driven by our need to conduct investigations. We strike at a time we see as appropriate in dealing with these criminals, » he said.
« We won’t be dictated to by criminals. »
Chief Superintendent McKay said the timing of the raids was based on ensuring the persons of interest were at home when officers arrived.
He also denied claims by some locals that racism was behind the police response.
« They know well and truly that were not interested in any issues of race, religion or the like. We are there to do our job and do our job we will and we won’t be scared off by people of suck ilk, » Chief Superintendent McKay said.
He said police had plenty of resources on the ground and were « always in control of the situation. »
« There were obviously a few cowards in the background hiding behind the group or hiding behind cars throwing projectiles at the police.
« Sometimes it’s a contact sport this, and sometimes people do get injured. »
Officers were forced to use capsicum spray to subdue the angry crowd, with the PolAir helicopter and the riot squad called in to help. The crowd dispersed about 10pm.
Two men and a woman were last night arrested in relation to the search warrants and were being questioned.
Detective Inspector Michael Reynolds said officers seized two stun guns, a quantity of ecstasy, cannabis, a large quantity of cash, and a handgun.
Crowd pelt police after drug raid
ELLIE HARVEY
September 9, 2009
ABOUT 100 police were called to contain a unruly crowd on the street last night after police raids on four houses in Auburn. They said 250 people – later revised to 150 – had gathered on Cumberland Street; some threw broken bottles at police.
»The crowd gathered and [the confrontation] escalated in a matter of five to 10 minutes, » Detective Inspector Mick Reynolds said.
It is believed the crowd gathered in response to a raid which resulted in two men and a woman being arrested, and a police officer assaulted, at about 6pm. Some residents later told the Herald they believed a woman in the house had been injured by police in the raid, and the police officer had been injured by males in the house in retaliation.
Police targeted four houses last night for firearms and drug offences, where they found a large quantity of cash, drugs believed to be ecstasy and cannabis, two stun guns and a pistol. During the raid on one house a police officer was assaulted, suffering lacerations to the nose.
Officers from the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad, Public Order and Riot Squad, Police Rescue, Dogs, PolAir, Local Area Commands, and Highway Patrol were involved in the incident.
Bottles thrown in Western Sydney stand-off
Wed Sep 9, 2009
A series of raids and arrests in Western Sydney last night led to a stand-off between police and a crowd of locals throwing bottles.
The Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad carried out three raids on the same street at Auburn.
It is investigating who shot a 23-year-old, who turned up at Auburn Hospital on Sunday night with a gunshot wound to the chest.
During one of the raids, a 25-year-old man punched an officer in the face and was arrested.
Police inspector Mick Reynolds says the man’s arrest triggered an angry response from about 150 residents.
« There was a lot of people that gathered in the street who were on phones, and I guess they have a network of bringing their friends out, » he said.
« The crowd gathered and it escalated in a matter of five to ten minutes.
« Further reinforcements were requested in cordoning off the area while the search warrant could be concluded. Projectiles were thrown at police. »
Officers from the Public Order and Riot Squad were called, along with the PolAir helicopter, Dog Unit and police from neighbouring local area commands.
Inspector Reynolds says police produced their batons but did not use them on anybody.
A 17-year-old boy and a woman in her 20s were arrested along with the 25-year-old man.
The injured officer was taken to hospital and given stitches.
Police say they found a gun, drugs, cash and two stun guns during the raids.
Muslim tensions run high after Ramadan raid by police
Angus Hohenboken | September 10, 2009
COMMUNITY tensions are running high in the western Sydney suburb of Auburn after police from the Middle Eastern organised crime squad raided four houses during the Muslim festival of Ramadan.
The raids on Tuesday evening prompted a gathering of about 150 mostly Middle Eastern youths and then the arrival of about 100 police.
Police have denied their timing was culturally insensitive and labelled angry mobs who threatened police during the raids as « cowardly ».
Auburn mayor Irene Simms yesterday said she did not know the ethnicity of those arrested by police, but said locals were sick of a trouble-making minority dragging down the suburb’s name.
She said protests about the interruptions of religious rituals were « no excuse » in the face of criminal allegations, adding that immigrants to Australia caught breaking their citizenship oath by committing crimes should be kicked out of the country.
« I think the police did an exceptional job in this situation, » Ms Simms said. « No religion condones breaking the law. »
Detectives from the Middle Eastern organised crime squad seized a hand gun, stun guns, cannabis, ecstasy, pills, a large sum of cash and ammunition from three residences in Cumberland Road and one home in Normanby Street, in Auburn, at about 6pm on Tuesday. This is the time Muslims observing Ramadan break their daily fast.
As news of the raids spread, an angry crowd of up to 150 people gathered on Cumberland Rd, prompting detectives to call in the riot squad, the dog squad and Polair.
Police said the crowd was dispersed after a standoff and three people were arrested.
A heavily-tattooed Lebanese local, who asked to remain anonymous because his police record was « as long as the street », said police in Auburn were racist and should have had the courtesy not to interrupt
the breaking of a fast during Ramadan.
« They target the same families, they don’t care if your mum’s in the shower, they’ve got no respect, » he said.
Detective Chief Superintendent Ken McKay made no apology for the raids, saying search warrants were executed in response to a shooting incident on the weekend. The man injured in the shooting had refused to co-operate with police in their investigations, but Superintendent McKay said police had « a very good idea of what occurred and why ».
Police allege a police officer was punched in the face during the raids by a 25-year-old man, who was yesterday granted bail after being charged with one count of wounding an officer and two counts of assaulting police.
A 17-year-old boy arrested in the raids, also charged with assault, was granted bail to appear in Parramatta Children’s Court on September 29.
A woman was also arrested and is expected to face charges in the future.
Police assaulted, riot avoided in Sydney’s west
RIOT police have been sent in to break up a crowd that gathered in western Sydney following police raids on a number of homes in the area.
Detectives from the Middle Eastern Organised Crime squad stormed three residences in Cumberland Road and one home in Normanby Street, in Auburn, about 6pm (AEST) yesterday.
Stun guns, cannabis, ecstasy, pills, a large sum of cash and a handgun and ammunition were seized from the properties, police said.
One officer was struck in the face during the operation and suffered a cut nose.
A short time later, groups of men began congregating in the area in a threatening manner.
After the crowd had swelled to an estimated 150 people, police confronted several groups of men, urging them to leave.
The Daily Telegraph reports officers were forced to use capsicum spray to subdue the angry crowd, with the PolAir helicopter and the riot squad called in to help.
The crowd dispersed about 10pm.
The injured officer was taken to hospital to have the wound stitched and was released.
A 25-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy and a woman aged in her 20s were arrested.
The man was charged with one count of wounding a police officer and two counts of assaulting police and obstructing police in their duty.
He was refused bail and is due to appear in Burwood Local Court today.
The boy was charged with assaulting police, resisting arrest and hindering police.
He was granted conditional bail and will appear in Parramatta Children’s Court on September 29.
The woman was questioned by investigators and released, with charges expected to be laid.
Sydney police raids meet angry protest
Wed, 9 Sep 2009
Police say they had full control of an angry crowd that gathered in Sydney on Tuesday night.
About 150 people gathered on Cumberland Street in the western suburb of Auburn as news spread of three raids by the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad.
The squad is investigating the shotting of a 23-year-old on Sunday night, as well as drug deals.
During one of the raids it is alleged a 25-year-old man punched an officer in the face.
Inspector Mick Reynolds says the man’s arrest triggered an angry response.
« That crowd started to become unruly, » he said.
« Further reinforcements were requested in cordoning off the area while the search warrant could be concluded.
« Projectiles were thrown at police. Batons were produced yeah, but they certainly weren’t used on anybody. »
The injured officer was taken to hospital and given stitches.
Assistant Commissioner Ken McKay says people threw bottles over fences at police.
« I heard it described this morning as a riot. It never got to that at all, » he said.
Police say they found a gun, drugs and two stun guns.
A 25-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy have been charged with assaulting, wounding and resisting police.
~ par Alain Bertho sur 14 septembre 2009.
Publié dans émeutes, riots
anthropologie du présent 