New South Wales (NSW) Police are warning people against taking part in what they say are likely to become violent gatherings, as social media posts circulate promoting an event dubbed “bashing day” on Sydney’s Cronulla beach, which has previously been the site of racial clashes.
The posts urge people to gather at the beach on Dec. 27 and commit acts of violence against members of the Middle Eastern community.
They began appearing in the days after the Dec. 14 shooting at Bondi Beach, which left 15 people dead and 39 injured, some seriously.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has since alleged the two gunmen, one of whom was killed by police, were motivated by Islamic State ideology.
Police say they are aware of the social media posts and have warned anyone considering attending that they will take action against those who commit offences, particularly those motivated by hate.
They have already arrested one person they allege is responsible for circulating the posts.
20-year-old Ryder Roy Shaw was refused bail when he appeared in Gosford local court on Dec. 22 after prosecutors described him as a “Muslim hater” who posed a serious risk to community safety.
He was charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass, offend, and publicly threaten violence on grounds of race or religion.
Following Shaw’s arrest, NSW Premier Chris Minns said that “hate can’t beat hate.”
“We will not tolerate anyone trying to incite—via the internet or Facebook or social media posts—and attempt to bring our communities together in violence,” he told reporters.
“We cannot allow that to happen. Racism directed against anybody in our community is, in effect, directed against everybody.”
NSW Acting Assistant Commissioner Brendan Gorman warned that police have “zero tolerance for any behaviour that threatens social cohesion in our state.”
The state parliament pushed through new laws in the aftermath of the terrorist attack, allowing Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon to restrict public assemblies across metropolitan Sydney for two weeks from Dec. 24.
He can also restrict public protests for up to three months following a terrorism declaration, while the public display of symbols linked to prohibited organisations is banned.
When gatherings are permitted, police can still direct people to move on if they are behaving in an intimidating or harassing manner, or are likely to cause fear.
The laws also give police the power to require anyone suspected of committing an offence to remove their face covering.
Civil liberties and protest groups have widely criticised the legislation as an overreach that will not stop anti-Semitism.
Three—Palestine Action Group Sydney, Blak Caucus, and Jews Against the Occupation ‘48—have launched a High Court challenge to fight the reforms.
Cronulla was the scene of extended race riots beginning on Dec. 11, 2005, when more than 5,000 mostly white Australians assembled to “reclaim the beach from outsiders.”
Violence erupted as the crowd attacked people of Middle Eastern appearance, sparking two further days of rioting.
Police later estimated around 270,000 text messages had circulated urging “Aussies” to “support Leb and wog bashing day.” An event held ten years later to commemorate the 2005 riots also saw clashes between rival groups and police.
