The siege is still going on.. I’m stunned on the most idiotic move by this crazy fanatic person(s). Hope they find him alive
Sydney Cafe Siege Sparks Terror Fears - WSJ
Sydney Cafe Siege Sparks Terror Fears
TV Showing Cafe’s Customers With Hands Up; Islamic Flag Displayed
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This image taken from video shows people holding up what appeared to be a black flag with white Arabic writing on it, inside a cafe in Sydney. /ASSOCIATED PRESS
By REBECCA THURLOW And
DAVID WINNING
Updated Dec. 14, 2014 8:32 p.m. ET80 COMMENTS
SYDNEY—Armed police shut down central Sydney after a suspected gunman and possibly accomplices took several people hostage in a cafe and placed an Islamic flag in the window, sparking concerns a terrorist attack was under way.
Authorities sealed off surrounding streets, evacuated people from buildings, and suspended rail services following the incident at the Lindt Chocolate Café in Martin Place, in the heart of the city’s business district.
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A police officer ran across Martin Place near Sydney’s Lindt Chocolate Café, where hostages are being held. DAVID GRAY/REUTERS
Up to 20 people are currently thought to be holed up in the cafe. Photographs broadcast on television showed people inside the cafe with their hands pressed against the window.
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Members of the New South Wales Police Force seen outside Lindt Chocolate Cafe in the heart of Sydney’s business district. EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY
It wasn’t clear if anyone inside was linked to hard-line Islamic groups, such as Islamic State, which have been the focus of a crackdown by authorities in recent weeks.
Earlier Monday, the Australian Federal Police arrested a 25-year-old man from a northern Sydney suburb on suspicion of financing terrorism, but police hadn’t confirmed a link to the current siege.
Muslim leaders in Australia said the black flag placed in the cafe window was known as a shahadah, containing a prayer spoken in mosques daily, and not a flag specific to Islamic State. The flag is banned in the Netherlands, and there have been efforts to do the same in the U.K., though not in Australia.
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Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he had convened a meeting of his security inner circle in his cabinet to discuss the response to the hostage-taking. Australian police hadn’t confirmed they were involved in an antiterror operation.
“This is obviously a deeply concerning incident but 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 said.
Martin Place is the location of several eateries, Australia’s central bank and offices of companies including Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Channel 7 television station. A spokeswoman for Macquarie Group Ltd. said the investment bank was relocating some staff from its building at 50 Martin Place to other premises in the city, while other employees would work from home for the day.
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Police stand close to Lindt Cafe in Sydney’s main business district ROB GRIFFITH/ASSOCIATED PRESS
“I have lived in Sydney my whole life and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Liz Riley, an 18-year-old hospitality worker, who worked nearby. “You don’t think this is the type of thing that would happen here.”
Islamic community leaders expressed shock and anger at the Islamic-linked siege in progress in Sydney.
Australia has experienced sweeping terrorism raids, in addition to the police shooting of an 18 year-old Islamic State sympathizer in September. Muslim leaders fear the latest development risks igniting community tension, and may lead to acts of random retaliation.
Around 70 men have had their passports confiscated over recent months due to suspicions they planned to leave the country to fight for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, authorities say.
“The most important thing is the safety and well-being of the hostages,” said Nail Aykan, General Manager of the Islamic Council of Victoria. “But there are also repercussions for prejudice-motivated crime—we don’t want a domino effect into wider society,” he said.
Write to David Winning at[EMAIL=“[email protected]”][email protected]