Sydney seige

[Gob]

A gunman has taken several people hostage at a chocolate shop in the Australian city of Sydney.

Pictures on Australian television showed people with their hands up against a window, and a black flag with Arabic writing.

Armed police have cordoned off area around Martin Place in Sydney's central business district.

New South Wales police have asked people to avoid the area.

An Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter said that heavily armoured police vehicles had now arrived at the scene.

[BoSoxGal]

[Lord Jim]

I was still composing my post on this while you were posting yours...

Let's hope for the best...

ETA:

To have this all in one thread, here's what I had:

This is going on currently:

Hostage situation in Sydney’s Martin Place



New South Wales police are on the scene at Martin Place and people are being advised to avoid the busy shopping area.

A number of hostages are being held against the window with their hands up, some of them wearing Lindt Cafe aprons.

A black and white flag has been photographed at the scene and is believed to be a Da’ish flag, used by the Islamic State.

The flag on display is understood to say: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of God.”

Martin Place is a main thoroughfare in Sydney’s central business district, and is home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Commonwealth Bank, Macquarie Bank, as well as Channel Seven studios.

Office workers in the area are reporting that they cannot leave their buildings.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described the siege as a “deeply concerning incident”.

“All Australians should be reassured that our law enforcement and security agencies are well-trained and equipped and are responding in a thorough and professional manner.”

Mr Abbott also confirmed that the “National Security Committee of Cabinet has convened for briefings on the situation”.

A NSW Police spokesperson told The New Daily: “All we’re saying at this stage is that a police operation is underway and we’re urging people to avoid the area.”

The nearby Channel Seven newsroom has also reportedly been evacuated because of the siege, trains in the area have been stopped and the Opera House and surrounding areas have been evacuated.

“There’s no trains operating on the T4 eastern suburbs and Illawarra line. No trains on that line between central and Bondi junction,” a NSW transport spokesperson told The New Daily.

There are unconfirmed reports the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has shut down the air space above central Sydney.

Estimates vary as to the number of people in the cafe, but Channel Seven is reporting there are 13 staff and customers inside.

Terror expert Dr Clarke Jones told The New Daily he holds “grave fears for those inside”.

He said there were reports that there was a Channel Seven was reporter inside the cafe, and he said one of the terrorists was believed to have a shotgun.

Buzzfeed Australia is reporting a man in priest’s clothing has been allowed to enter the scene by police but the reason for his presence remains unknown.

The incident was brought to the attention of police by a woman who reportedly saw a man entering the cafe carrying a blue sports bag. She believed the bag was carrying a gun.

There is a strong police presence at the scene, which is a particularly busy area of the CBD.

A City of Sydney survey found there were 1400 people in Martin Place on a typical weekday at lunchtime.

http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2014/12/ ... tin-place/

[Lord Jim]

Here's a link to live coverage:

http://globalnews.ca/news/1726280/hosta ... australia/

[Gob]

Cheers Jim.
We're watching it unfold on TV now.

My godson from the UK, arrives spending a week in Melbourne, in two hours time.

After a week with us, guess where he's spending Xmas and New years, before flying back.

His parents must be pleased, I must drop them a line.

[Gob]

Police have also said that they are dealing with an "incident" at the Sydney Opera House which has been evacuated.

Local media are reporting that a suspicious package was found there on Monday.

[TPFKA@W]

I hope this is quickly resolved in a positive manner. Additionally I really really hope this is not the beginning of a series of things like this.

[Guinevere]

What @W said. Hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution.

I have to believe ISIS isn't big or powerful enough to pull off world-wide terror. But you never know, and that's the whole point of terrorism, isn't it. Fuckers.

[Lord Jim]

CNN has also gone live with coverage.

[TPFKA@W]

"As this unfolding situation is unfolding."

Well I know them terrorists messing with Australians will roo the day.

Sorry, I know I know.

A chocolate shop of all places.

[wesw]

I m just going to watch a show about Alaska and pretend the whole world is ok

[Lord Jim]

It appears this is a self-radicalized lone wolf Islamicist terrorist with a screw loose...

Five people have been able to escape, he's letting people use their cell phones, he's been making calls to the media, and he's got two demands:

1.An ISIS flag

2. To talk to Tony Abbott

Seems to me that it's a pretty poorly organized terrorist who doesn't bring his own flag...

At first this looked like it could be a much more professional operation when they thought there were two of them and he got the hostages to stand in the windows, (which is a good way to avoid being picked off by a sniper; that part of it looked well thought out.)

This is a very dicey thing...

On the one hand, the fact that he hasn't harmed anyone so far is a hopeful sign, but on the other hand as time goes on and he becomes increasingly tired and edgy, his behavior could become more erratic and irrational...(and he wasn't all that tightly wrapped to begin with...)

My guess is that so long as he continues to communicate they'll continue to wait him out, but if it appears he's about to turn violent, they'll be in there in five seconds with tear gas and flash bang grenades...

[TPFKA@W]

It is really too bad that the media gives these people such attention. I like knowing what is going on but does my need to know outweigh the harm done giving them this attention?

[Lord Jim]

Some info on the gunman; he's no stranger to seeking media attention (nor to the police) he's a long time radical Islamacist activist :

Sydney siege gunman identified as Man Haron Monis



The man who continues to hold more than a dozen people hostage, placing Sydney's CBD into lockdown is no stranger to the NSW police or the judiciary.

Self-described cleric, Man Haron Monis, 50, first came to attention of police when he penned poisonous letters to the family of dead Australian soldiers seven years ago.

Last year he was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife and mother of two.

Most recently, he was charged with more than 50 allegations of indecent and sexual assault relating to time allegedly spent as a self-proclaimed "spiritual healer" who dealt with black magic at a premises in western Sydney more than a decade ago.

Monis, who has also gone by the names of Sheikh Haron and Mohammad Hassan Manteghi, was born in Iran and most recently has been living at Bexley North in Sydney's south.

He recently likened himself on his own webpage to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, claiming the most recent charges against him have been laid for "political reasons".

His website also carries a quote, posted earlier this month stating: "I used to be a Rafidi, but not any more. Now I am a Muslim, Alhamdu Lillah".

It has been Monis' on-going legal battle for his conviction for penning the poisonous letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers between 2007 and 2009 that has consumed him.

It is understood Monday's incident followed an unsuccessful, last-ditch attempted in the High Court on Friday to have the charges overturned.

Monis was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and placed on a two year good behaviour bond for the "offensive and deplorable letters" sent with the assistance of his girlfriend Amirah Droudis.

They were sent to the families of Private Luke Worsley and Lance Corporal Jason Marks, who were killed in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008.

He also sent a letter in 2009 to the family of the Austrade official Craig Senger, who was killed in the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in 2007.

Monis claimed the letters were his own version of a "flower basket" or "condolence card".

Bree Till, widow of Sergeant Brett Till, killed while defusing a bomb on March 12, 2009, said at the time of his conviction: "We sat reading these letters (which) made out to be something supportive but then the juxtaposition of this man accusing my husband of being a child-killer while dictating how I should raise my children. It was scary," she said.

He fought the validity of the charges all the way to the High Court arguing they were political and only sought to persuade the families to oppose Australia's military involvement in Afghanistan.

But when he lost that battle, and had to stand trial, he pleaded guilty to all 12 charges against him in August 2013.

But his problems with the law did not end there. Monis is currently on bail in relation two separate, serious cases.

He was charged in November 2013 with being an accessory before and after the fact to the murder of his ex-wife Noleen Hayson Pal.

Ms Pal was stabbed and set alight in a Werrington apartment block.

Droudis has been charged with the murder.

And then in April this year, Monis was charged by sex crimes squad detectives with the indecent and sexual assault of a woman in western Sydney in 2002.

Police allege that Monis was a self-proclaimed "spiritual healer" who operated out of premises on Station Street at Wentworthville.

News of his arrest prompted more victims to come forward and Monis was hit with an additional 40 charges in October.

It is alleged that Monis placed ads in local newspapers offering "spiritual consultation".

He claimed to be an expert in astrology, numerology, meditation and black magic.

Monis has posted online that the police charges are part of a witch hunt against him.[well, if he was practicing black magic, then maybe a witch hunt was appropriate...]

"Since the Australian government cannot tolerate Sheikh Haron's activity, is trying to damage his image by these false accusations, and also for putting pressure on him to stop his activity and keep him silent, but God willing Man Haron Monis will not stop his political activity against oppression," he writes in a description of himself on his website, sheikhharon.com

His former Facebook page, pulled down on Monday night as the siege continued had 14,725 "likes" when it was shut down.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/martin-place- ... 27sxt.html

[MajGenl.Meade]

His website also carries a quote, posted earlier this month stating: "I used to be a Rafidi, but not any more. Now I am a Muslim, Alhamdu Lillah".

It has been Monis' on-going legal battle for his conviction for penning the poisonous letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers between 2007 and 2009 that has consumed him.

Seems as if he belonged to Westboro Baptist before converting then?

A sick individual, now inflicting terror on more innocent people. We really have no sensible answer for people like this other than the certainty of capture and of being jailed for their entire life. The option of sniper is of course on everyone's mind, one way or another I suppose

[wesw]

my first thought meade. sniper.

[TPFKA@W]

Unconfirmed that he is dead.

[Lord Jim]

After watching the denouement of this unfold on TV, I'd be very surprised if he isn't...

They're reporting that a number of others have been taken to the hospital, (including one member of the assault team) hopefully he will be the only fatality from this...

[Big RR]

Is this development fairly recent?

[wesw]

sounds like the guy should have been locked up well before this incident