The Cronulla riots – the sequence of events

• Introduction - the daily coverage
• December 12 - first reports
• December 13
• December 14 & 15
• December 16, 17 & 18
• Aftermath
   
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December 16, 17 & 18

By Friday, December 16, the SMH did not provide any further coverage, except letters to the editor, while The Australian and the Daily Telegraph carried only four and three articles respectively. All three outlets provided more substantial coverage, with many opinion and analysis pieces, in their weekend editions.

Lockdown

As the following weekend approached, reports detailed the increased police presence being deployed to deter further violence. All three outlets reported that NSW police would deploy more than 1000 extra officers around Cronulla, with one officer referring to the operation as “a shock and awe campaign”. The extra officers were enabled by emergency legislation passed by the NSW Parliament after a request from the Police Commissioner. After previously calling for people to return to the beach, the Commissioner declared numerous beaches unsafe and warned the public to stay away, as a result of information that rioters were planning further attacks. He conceded that he would close Bondi beach on Christmas Day if it was warranted. He announced that police numbers had been further increased and that they would search cars and turn away people who did not have a legitimate reason for being in the area. His warning was reiterated by NSW Premier Morris Iemma, saying “it is a long-term fight to ensure that the hooligans, thugs and criminals who create trouble and disorder will not win”. The Sutherland Shire mayor defied these warnings and asked “honest law-abiding people” to return to the beach and “support those innocent business operators”.

Repairing the damage

The Prime Minister praised the public displays of reconciliation between the “local surfing community and Lebanese Muslim representatives” and was heartened by the image of Cronulla-based rugby players Jason Stevens and Hazem el Masri walking the beach together. He called for a “law and order” solution to the problem, stating that “now is not the time to wallow in generalised self-criticism”, suggesting instead that “in the long term we can reflect on whether there are some lessons to be learned …” The Daily Telegraph reported that Australian celebrities including Cate Blanchett and Jimmy Barnes had joined a peace rally at Coogee beach.

The Cronulla surf lifesaving clubs announced they intended to undertake a recruitment drive aimed at increasing the ethnic diversity of their membership, following a meeting with Middle Eastern community groups. At a meeting between police, Cronulla community leaders and representatives from Muslim and Lebanese community groups, ideas for reducing tensions were discussed. Suggestions included allocating specific areas of the beach for surfing and soccer, and using “marshals” from the various beachgoing communities to ensure young men refrained from antagonistic behaviour. The participants emphasised that policing was only a short-term solution and that the Government had a crucial role to play in educating the community and engendering respect.

We’re not racist but …

Both the Prime Minister and the federal Opposition leader reiterated their opinions that Australia is not a racist nation. John Howard told people not to “wallow in self-pity … and self-criticism” but to “have Christmas and celebrate the fact that this is still the greatest country in the world”. He described the rioting as “incredibly bad behaviour fuelled by too much drink”, and assured Australians that “the behaviour of a small number of lunatics is not going to dent … the compassionate reputation of this nation”. Kim Beazley said he did not believe Australia was a racist country but that “there are some racist elements involved on both sides”. Community leaders condemned this denial of inherent racism. Uniting Church president Dean Drayton noted that “by refusing to admit that racism runs deep the Prime Minister has eliminated himself and the government from being part of the solution”. Treasurer Peter Costello opined that multiculturalism was good if it meant “eating souvlaki and dancing the Zorba”, but not if it was anti-assimilation. He also believed the rioting was not “caused by racism, but lawlessness can breed racism”. He warned that “if your loyalty isn’t to Australia, well, there may be another country where you feel happier”.

On December 16, The Australian published an opinion piece by Keith Windschuttle which asserted that the incidents were “multicultural riots” and should be blamed on the “multiculturalist policies and ideas” that had created and ghettoised ethnic communities within Australia. Daily Telegraph columnist Joe Hildebrand condemned the various opinion leaders who blamed the riots on the failure of multiculturalism, arguing that blaming multiculturalism for alienating Anglo Australians was “a bit like saying ‘pacifism will never work because I’m about to thump you’”, and noting that this view allowed the rioters to avoid responsibility for their actions.

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