Pro-Palestine Protesters Chant 'Gas the Jews' Outside Sydney Opera House

THE TELEGRAPH: Small group lights flares and chants anti-Semitic slogans in unverified footage of the scene

Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through downtown Sydney on Monday evening to the city’s iconic Opera House CREDIT: Dean Lewins/AAP
Australian police are investigating a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Sydney Opera House, after footage emerged of a small group appearing to chant anti-Semitic slogans at the demonstration.

Around 1,000 pro-Palestinian supporters marched through central Sydney on Monday evening to the city’s Opera House, which the government had illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag following Saturday’s attacks by Hamas.

More than 900 Israelis were killed in the attacks, Israel reports. Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry said at least 687 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli retaliatory air strikes.

Unverified footage shared by the Australian Jewish Association and featured on Sky News appeared to show a small group outside the Opera House lighting flares and chanting “gas the Jews”. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Australia's 2021 Sydney New Year Celebrations

Lockdown in Sydney erneut verschärft

Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images | Ein Mann sitzt am Hafen von Sydney
ZEIT ONLINE – LIVE: Die coronabedingten Einschränkungen in Sydney sind nochmals verschärft worden. Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner dürfen ihre Wohnungen nun nur noch verlassen, um Sport zu treiben, zur Arbeit oder einkaufen zu gehen, wie die Regionalregierung mitteilte. Die Regelungen zum Verlassen der Stadt wurden verschärft, um eine Ausbreitung der Epidemie zu verhindern. Auch ist der Lockdown für den gesamten Bundesstaat New South Wales ausgeweitet worden. Corona-News aus aller Welt » |Von Ivana Sokola | Samstag, 14. August 2021

Sydney Suffers Worst Day of Pandemic with 262 Cases and Five Deaths as Delta Spreads North

THE GUARDIAN: Beach party in Newcastle triggers snap lockdown in Hunter and Upper Hunter, while virus found in sewage puts Armidale and Dubbo on high alert

A beach party in Newcastle attended by young people from western Sydney has triggered a snap lockdown in eight regional local government areas as New South Wales authorities worry that the Delta variant of Covid is now spreading in the regions.

NSW recorded 262 coronavirus cases and five deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm Wednesday – its worst day so far in the pandemic. At least 72 cases were in the community for all or part of their infectious period.

But it is the detection of fragments of the virus in sewage systems in Armidale and Dubbo as well as in the Newcastle and the Central Coast that has authorities most worried. With video » | Anne Davies | Thursday, August 5, 2021

Soldaten überwachen den Lockdown in Sydney

FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Trotz strenger Corona-Maßnahmen sind die Infektionszahlen in Sydney auf einem für australische Verhältnisse hohen Niveau geblieben. Nun sollen die Ordnungskräfte dafür sorgen, dass sich die Menschen besser an die Regeln halten.

In Australiens größter Stadt Sydney gehen seit Montag Männer in Tarnkleidung auf Patrouille, um die Einhaltung der Corona-Regeln sicherzustellen. Die rund 300 Soldaten der Australian Defence Force verstärken die Polizei in den besonders stark betroffenen Stadtvierteln auf der Straße und bei Hausbesuchen, bei denen geprüft wird, ob sich die Anwohner, die positiv auf das Coronavirus getestet wurden, an die Selbstisolation halten. Außerdem sollen sie bei der Verteilung von Nahrungsmitteln und dem Aufbau von Impfzentren helfen.

Dabei gehe es bei dem Einsatz, der auf Bitten des Bundesstaates New South Wales zustande gekommen war, nicht darum, „Angst zu verbreiten“, versicherte Mick Fuller, der Polizeichef von New South Wales. Damit reagierte er auch auf die Kritik, dass die Soldaten vor allem im Westen Sydneys zum Einsatz kämen, wo besonders viele Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund lebten. » | Till Fähnders, Politischer Korrespondent für Südostasien in Singapur | Montag, 2. August 2021

Sydney Police Fine Hundreds of Anti-lockdown Protesters for ‘Filthy, Risky Behaviour’

Protesters marched through central Sydney on Saturday, in breach of coronavirus stay-at-home orders.Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
THE GUARDIAN: Prime minister denounces ‘selfish’ protesters who marched against coronavirus measures as police taskforce traces everyone who broke rules

Hundreds of fines have been issued and dozens charged in Sydney after anti-lockdown protesters marched and clashed with police in what one deputy commissioner called “violent, filthy, risky behaviour”.

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, said on Sunday the previous day’s protests – in which thousands breached the region’s coronavirus measures to protest – were “selfish and self-defeating”, adding: “It achieves no purpose. It won’t end the lockdown sooner.”

The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said was “utterly disgusted” by the scenes, saying: “It just broke my heart that people had such a disregard for their fellow citizens.”

Detectives are now combing social media and footage from CCTV and police-worn body cameras to identify and punish everyone who defied stay-at-home orders, which are now entering their fifth week. » | Matilda Boseley and agencies | Sunday, July 25, 2021

Australia’s Most Populous State Declares ‘National Emergency’ over Covid Outbreak

THE GUARDIAN: New South Wales announces 136 new local Delta cases with Sydney under the strictest lockdown measures it has experienced

Australia’s most populous state has declared a “national emergency” as it struggles to contain a record-breaking surge of the Delta variant of Covid-19 amid a lockdown affecting half the country.

The state of New South Wales announced 136 new locally-acquired cases of Covid-19 on Friday, with continued community transmission among essential workers, including in supermarkets and pharmacies.

More than a year after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, NSW has broken records for daily case numbers on consecutive days, and the city of Sydney is under the strictest lockdown measures it has ever experienced.

More than 13 million Australians – approximately half the country’s population – are currently under some form of lockdown or restriction, including the states of Victoria and South Australia.

On Friday, the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, called for an urgent mass vaccination program in parts of Sydney, and warned that the city’s outbreak would endanger the entire country. Despite restrictions that have closed restaurants, pubs and bars, general retail shops, schools, offices, gyms and sport, and limited the reasons that people can leave the house, Covid numbers continue to rise. » | Naaman Zhou | Friday, July 23, 2021

Gladys Berejiklian Faces Instability Within as a Covid Storm Brews Outside

THE GUARDIAN: Disgruntled cabinet colleagues touting a plan B are making NSW premier’s job of imposing a lockdown on the public even harder

The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, emerged from her crisis briefing at the Department of Health on Friday looking more stressed – with good reason.

All the signs are that NSW is losing control of this outbreak of the Delta strain of Covid-19, despite the increasingly stringent lockdown rules.

“To 8pm last night there were 44 cases of community transmission. Regrettably, 29 of those were either partially or fully exposed to the community and that is the number that is really concerning us,” Berejiklian said on Friday.

“It tells us that both the case numbers and unfortunately the number of people who may be exposed or have been exposed in the community is going to go up.” » | Anne Davies | Friday, July 9, 2021

Cold, wet and windy weather ahead for Sydney could pose added risk in Covid lockdown »

NSW Covid update: stronger restrictions for Sydney as Gladys Berejiklian flags lockdown extension »

Australia Covid Update: NSW Records 38 Cases, Highest Daily Number Since Sydney Outbreak Began

THE GUARDIAN: Gladys Berejiklian urged people to restrict movement and not visit family members unnecessarily during Sydney lockdown, as Queensland recorded two coronavirus cases

New South Wales has recorded 38 new local Covid-19 cases, including 20 people who were in the community for part or all of their infectious period, as the premier urged people to further restrict their movement.

Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday those numbers, the highest in NSW since the current outbreak began, were “too high” but that it was still “achievable” for the lockdown to end next Friday, “assuming everybody does the right thing”

. But she backed away from a suggestion NSW would just lift lockdown regardless of case numbers, saying “you can’t live with the Delta variant unless you have a certain proportion of the population vaccinated”.

“We need to get those numbers down,” she said. » | Australian Associated Press and Calla Wahlquist | Thursday, July 8, 2021

Covid-19 : le confinement de Sydney prolongé

LE POINT : Les habitants de la ville la plus peuplée d’Australie, reconfinés depuis le 26 juin, vont devoir faire avec cette mesure au moins une semaine supplémentaire.

Les autorités australiennes ont annoncé que la ville de Sydney allait être confinée pour au moins une semaine supplémentaire face au regain épidémique du Covid-19 et de son variant Delta. Les cinq millions d’habitants de la ville la plus peuplée d’Australie vivent depuis le 26 juin avec l’interdiction de sortir de chez eux pour tenter de contenir la progression du virus. Censée durer deux semaines, cette mesure a été prolongée mercredi d’au moins sept jours. Ce qui signifie que le confinement sera au minimum en vigueur jusqu’au 16 juillet.

« Ce variant Delta change la donne, il est extrêmement transmissible », a déploré Gladys Berejiklian, Première ministre de Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, État ayant Sydney pour capitale. « Nous ne voulons pas nous retrouver dans la position où il faudrait constamment passer de confinement en déconfinement », a-t-elle ajouté, expliquant que prolonger le confinement était « la meilleure façon pour faire en sorte que ce soit notre seul confinement avant que toute la population soit vaccinée ». Les habitants ne peuvent actuellement sortir que pour acheter des denrées essentielles, obtenir des soins médicaux, faire de l’exercice, aller à l’école ou au travail s’ils ne peuvent pas travailler à domicile. » | Source AFP | mercredi 7 juillet 2021

Sydney Australia On Lockdown over COVID Delta Variant Outbreak | DW News

Jun 26, 2021 • A two-week lockdown has been imposed in Sydney to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant. The new restrictions affect more than five million people in and around the Australian city.

At least 80 cases have been reported so far. Most have been linked to a limousine driver who was infected while taking an international flight crew to a quarantine hotel.

The country remains largely unvaccinated. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: "A few days ago I said this was the scariest time that she felt since the pandemic started and that's proven to be the case. We should brace ourselves for more cases. We're finding that all household contacts, unfortunately, are getting the virus. Transmissibility is at least double what previous variants have been, so we do need to brace ourselves for potentially larger number of cases in the following days, and that is why it's so important we take action now."


Sydney, Australia, enters full lockdown for the first time in the pandemic to fight the Delta variant »

NSW Covid Outbreaks: Gladys Berejiklian Locks Down Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Wollongong

THE GUARDIAN: New South Wales premier says lockdown will last two weeks and new restrictions will be in place for rest of state

All of greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong regions will enter a two-week coronavirus lockdown until 9 July and new restrictions will be in place for the remainder of New South Wales.

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, announced the expanded lockdown – the first lockdown of greater Sydney since last year – would commence at 6pm Saturday, following crisis talks due to the growing number of exposure sites associated with the Sydney outbreak of the Delta Covid-19 variant.

The state recorded 29 cases up to 8pm on Friday, including 17 that had been announced Friday morning. Only 12 of those had been in isolation while infectious.

“We’re never afraid to take a decision we need to keep our citizens safe,” Berejikilan said on Saturday afternoon. “Unfortunately this is a situation where we absolutely have to.” » | Lisa Cox | Saturday, June 26, 2021

Covid-19 : la métropole de Sydney entièrement reconfinée pour contrer le variant Delta »

Jamie Glazov Moment: Muslim Primary School Students Threaten to Behead Teacher

Charges for 'Disrespect' in Australian Court after Accused Rejects Any Authority Other Than Islam

Supreme law courts in Sydney, Australia

THE TELEGRAPH: New South Wales will introduce laws to ban disrespectful behaviour after a 25-year-old man refused to stand in court for four judges

The Australian state of New South Wales will introduce laws to ban “disrespectful behaviour” in court after a devout Muslim charged with attempted murder repeatedly refused to stand, saying he did not recognise the authority of the judiciary.

Milad bin Ahmad-Shah al-Ahmadzai, 25, caused a public outcry – and his conduct was criticised by local Muslim leaders - but authorities said his failure to stand did not appear to be illegal under existing contempt laws.

Al-Ahmadzai has been charged with the vicious beating and shooting of a man outside a gay sex club in Sydney, apparently after the man interrupted an attempt to break into a mechanic business next door to the club.

For the past 18 months, al-Ahmadzai has refused to stand in court, insisting he was “not at the behest of any authority other than Islam”.

Dismissing his conduct as unacceptable, Gabrielle Upton, the state’s attorney-general, said she will introduce legislation early next year to create a new offence for disrespectful behaviour in court. » | Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney | Thursday, December 3, 2015

THE GUARDIAN: Man who refuses to stand in court to be considered for contempt: The NSW attorney general, Gabrielle Upton, seeks advice on whether man on attempted murder charges should be investigated ‘for breaches of contempt’ » | Australian Associated Press | Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Victim of Sydney sex club shooting shown running for his life in disturbing CCTV »

Hundreds Join 'Je suis Muslim' Rally in Sydney

A protest against negative coverage of Islam and Charlie Hebdo's
caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in Sydney

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Peaceful protesters march in Muslim enclave over magazine's depictions of the Prophet

Hundreds of Muslims rallied in Sydney on Friday night to protest negative media coverage of Islam and the French magazine Charlie Hebdo's depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Police said 14 people were moved on from the rally for breaching the peace. But no one was charged and the event was peaceful.

Some of the 800-strong demonstrators in the Muslim enclave of Lakemba held placards with the slogan "Je suis Muslim," French for "I am Muslim."

The slogan was a response to Charlie Hebdo's latest front cover that depicts a tearful Prophet Muhammad holding a sign saying "Je suis Charlie." The edition is the first since the Jan. 7 terrorist attack on the satirical publication's Paris office that left 12 dead. » | AP | Friday, January 23, 2015

Sydney Siege Press Conference: Police Say Attack Was an 'Isolated Incident'

Police confirm that three people have been killed following a dramatic police shoot-out which ended a 16 hour siege at a cafe in Sydney's city centre

Read the Telegraph article here | Telegraph Video and agencies, video source APTN | Monday, December 15, 2014

Sydney Siege: Hostages Held in Lindt Café

BBC: Several people have been taken hostage by at least one armed man at a Lindt cafe in Sydney, Australia.

Hundreds of armed police have sealed off the normally busy Martin Place in the central business district.

At least three people have been seen inside the cafe with their hands up against a window, and holding up a black flag with Arabic writing.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described the incident as "deeply concerning".

He said it was not yet clear who was behind the incident but that it could be politically motivated, and that the National Security Committee had been briefed.

"I can think of almost nothing more distressing, more terrifying than to be caught up in such a situation, and our hearts go out to these people," he said.

About six hours into the siege, three people were seen running from the building. The circumstances of their exit from the building are not clear. (+ BBC videos) » | Monday, December 15, 2014

Sectarian Tensions Running High, Say Australian Muslim Leaders

CNN: (CNN) -- Muslim community leaders in Australia say sectarian tensions are soaring, as radicalized Sunni youth, inspired by ISIS, seek to import the religious conflicts wracking the Middle East.

"The tensions are very high and will continue to be high," said Jamal Daoud, a Shia community leader in Sydney, where a 47-year old Shia leader was shot in the shoulder early Monday morning, as worshipers observed the Shia ritual of Ashura.

He said Rasoul Al Mousawi, a leader in the Shia community focused around the Islamic center in Greenacre, south-west Sydney, had been released from hospital on Tuesday and was doing well.

The attack was only one incident in a string of attacks and threats against Shia Muslims by Sunni extremists who sympathized with ISIS, he claimed, and had followed an incident where a group of men had driven past the Islamic center, yelling comments such as "IS lives forever" and "Shia dogs" in Arabic.

A security guard had also been attacked by a group of men who appeared to be followers of the austere Wahhabi tradition of Sunni Islam on Friday, he said.

"There's high tension between Sunni and Shia, but these extremists, they threaten and attack Sunnis too," he said.

"Anyone who speaks against the fighting in Syria and advocating the government to take action against people in Iraq and Syria -- they are threatened and attacked."

Jamal Rifi, a Sydney-based GP and Sunni community leader, agreed, saying sectarian tensions were at an unprecedented level as a result of the brutal Syrian conflict, and the appeal of ISIS to radicalized Sunni youth in Australia. » | Tim Hume, CNN | Thursday, November 06, 2014

Related »

Australia: Shooting Sparks Fear of Muslim Sectarian Violence

THE AUSTRALIAN: FEARS of Muslim sectarian violence spilling into the suburbs of Australia are rising after the shooting early yesterday of a man outside a Sydney prayer centre.

The attack, on a 47-year-old ­father of five at a Shia establishment, happened in front of his family on one of the holiest days of the Shia Muslim calendar.

The man, identified as Rasoul Al-Musawi, was standing outside the prayer hall in Greenacre, in Sydney’s southwest about 1.15am when he was struck in the face and shoulder with pellets. He was expected to undergo surgery. His injuries are not considered life-threatening. » | Anthony Klan | Journalist | Sydney | Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Related video

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Shia Muslims Chanting ‘Down with Isis’ Join Ashura Procession in Sydney

THE GUARDIAN: March participants play down prospect of sectarian tensions a day after a Muslim leader was shot outside a Sydney Islamic centre

Thousands of Shia Muslims marched through the Sydney’s CBD on Tuesday to mark Ashura, the anniversary of the death of the prophet Muhammad’s grandson Husayn Ibn Ali.

The black-clad procession numbered more than 2,000 and stretched almost a kilometre, led by women in chadors and green headbands chanting, “down with Isis” and “Husayn is for peace”.

At the lead was a large sign linking Husayn’s death at the battle of Karbala in AD680 at the hands of the caliph Yazid to the death of Jesus and new threats from religious extremists in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Oppressors attacked Jesus Christ to crucify him, but he was victorious. After centuries, similar people attacked Imam Husayn to demolish truth and justice, but he was victorious,” the sign read.

“Today, terrorists have risen again. Who will be victorious over them?” » | Michael Safi | Tuesday, November 04, 2014