Australian PM: 'Sydney riots appalling'
Australia’s leader said race riots in Sydney involving whites and youths of Middle Eastern appearance in recent days were appalling, and that all parties must be prosecuted regardless of their background or grievances.
“The incidents were appalling. There is no doubt about that. Violence is never acceptable, never,” Prime Minister John Howard said in Malaysia’s main city, Kuala Lumpur, where he was attending a regional summit.
“And people who indulge in violence are breaking the law and they should be punished.”
Youths in cars rampaged through southern suburbs of Australia’s largest city last night, smashing store windows and attacking parked cars. Seven people were injured and 11 arrested.
The young men appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin, indicating they were taking revenge for a riot on Sunday when a mob of 5,000 white men, many drunk and wrapped in the Australian flag, attacked people of Middle Eastern appearance near Cronulla beach.
Sunday’s fighting came in retaliation for the beating a week earlier of two volunteer life guards by men described as being of Lebanese descent.
“The law has to be enforced with equal rigor on everybody irrespective of what their grievance may be or what their background may be,” Howard said.
