Tense Situation on Sydney's Beaches

Shortly before Christmas, Australia was shocked by the most serious racial violence in its history. The fifth continent's reputation as a model multicultural society has been severely tarnished. Sebastian Krüger reports

A man threatens police with a bottle on Cronulla beach, photo: AP — Tensions have been rising in recent years, largely because of anti-Muslim sentiment fuelled by the 9/11 attacks in the USA and subsequent bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali

On December 11, a mob of around 5,000 drunken, white Australians chased or assaulted several individuals of supposed Middle Eastern appearance. The violence occurred in, of all places, the country’s largest city, which has until now served as a shining example of the nation’s multicultural makeup.

At least a quarter of Australia's 20 million citizens were born abroad. Some 300,000 Australians originally come from Lebanon. One of these is Shahin Masri.

He spends time at the Corner Club fitness center pushing weights. Sweat is pouring from his face. The air here feels fresh, though, in contrast to the hot haze of mid-summer Australia outside. The fitness center is located in Bankstown, a suburb in West Sydney, and serves a clientele of mainly Lebanese youth.

Racism - a part of everyday experience

Nineteen-year-old Shahan and the other young Lebanese hardening their bodies here are furious. Since the rioting, they are stopped almost daily by police patrols and questioned as to their comings and goings. "And they always want to examine my mobile phone," says Shahin. "Even if I protest, they take it from me." The police are checking telephones for inflammatory SMS messages.

Racism is part of his everyday experience. "We are cursed on the street as being terrorists! And my sister even had her headscarf torn off. There comes a point when you just have had enough. Sometimes I feel as if I am sitting on a volcano that is only covered by a piece of cardboard."

Every evening he and his friends drive in long convoys to the beaches located in East Sydney. One of the most popular meeting places for Lebanese youth is Cronulla Beach, where the latest outbreak of violence began. These youths with a "Middle Eastern appearance," to use the locally popular politically correct expression, come here to enjoy their share of the "Australian way of life."

In a country where 80% of the population lives less than 50 kilometers from the ocean, the beach is regarded as a national treasure. It isn't merely a matter of refreshing fun in the waves. A day at the beach is synonymous with relaxation, a carefree way to pass the time, and sociable get-togethers.

However, not all "Sydneysiders" participate in these rituals in the same way. Rich, mostly white, Australians live directly on the coast in the city's eastern suburbs. Sydney's western suburbs, on the other hand, are home to the less prosperous and numerous immigrants primarily from Asia and the Middle East. Housing is clearly cheaper the further one gets from the coast.

"They come and harass our girls," says Mike Banton, a 24-year-old surfer with long, sun-bleached hair and a t-shirt sporting the Australian flag. "They also don't behave as they should. After all, this is our beach!" The small words "us" and "them" assume enormous significance for the inhabitants of the coast suburbs.

Police are currently patrolling the beach on horseback, ensuring a tense peace. Colleagues on mountain bikes are making the rounds along the paved beach promenade.

Surf veteran Sean Cassidy plays down the issue. "There have been brawls on this beach as far back as I can remember. Testosterone, alcohol, and heat will always result in a tussle of one sort or another," says the 42-year-old.

Long-term tensions behind Australian riots

As a matter of fact, the history of conflicts here is a long one, even going back to the 1960s, when local "surfies" and "rockies" from the west of the city fought in Cronulla.

Now, though, this less appealing side of beach culture has escalated into the most serious racial violence in the history of Australia. Events began with a conflict between a group of Lebanese youth and beach lifeguards, who demanded that the young men stopped playing soccer on the beach. In response, the lifeguards were physically assaulted.

Outraged residents organized a solidarity protest. In this overheated atmosphere, archconservative radio hosts poured oil on the fire with provocative commentary, while far-right groups prepared their own response. The various parties were spurred on by inflammatory SMS messages.

The two days of rioting resulted in 20 injured, 200 temporarily detained, and more than 100 demolished cars. The beaches are once again full, but it is clear that the situation isn't nearly as rosy as many, including the government, are making out.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard, for example, denies that there is "an underlying racism in this country." The Sydney Morning Herald, one of the leading Australian daily papers, subsequently published a poll in which 75% of all Australians believe the exact opposite to be the case.

Sebastian Krüger

Translated from the German by John Bergeron

Qantara.de

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