Ongoing hostage crisis in Sydney

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Very troubling and very scary hostage situation is unfolding in Sydney, Australia. 20 or more people have been taken hostage by two Middle Eastern men (one believed armed with a shotgun, a machete and wearing a black bandana) inside a cafe in the business district, and made to put ISIS flags up in the windows. Police have surrounded the cafe and evacuated other areas. They're not able to make contact with anyone inside.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/14/world/asia/australia-operation/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

This is a fluid situation, so mods can edit this post to add (or delete) details as they see fit.

I'm half-Australian with family there, and was only there a few months ago, and I passed that area a lot. I can't believe that's happening there; it's just awful. Hopefully it gets resolved peacefully…..

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Hostages made to hold up flag

One of the suspects

 

[Piper Maru]

Just heard about this a few minutes ago, yikes.

 

[Apollo]

What the hell is wrong with some people?

I hope they solve this and the hostages are safe. Then give the suspect a good taste of Sydney Justice.

 

[BrollySupersj]

****, looks pretty serious. I hope the police can take these guys down with no harm to the hostages.

 

[SuperJediHero]

Hopefully not an ISIS group in there.

 

[SuperJediHero]

Now 2 women ran out!

 

[Thundercrack85]

Sympathizers more likely. It bears the Shahada (there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger), so all that tells us is that they're Muslim.

 

[jmc]

It's not ISIS, not the right flag.

 

[SuperJediHero]

Starting to look like it's not ISIS but who knows what will happen next.

 

[jmc]

Sky News coverage is frankly a disgrace. Freakin' alarmist talk from one of the anchors without knowing the facts.

 

[smallville fan]

As someone who lives near this place, it's jarring.

 

[jmc]

I work not far from there 3 days a week. Glad it's my day off.

 

[smallville fan]

I work not far from there 3 days a week. Glad it's my day off.

Where at?

 

[Silvermoth]

It's pretty creepy. I wonder why he hasn't made any demands?

Equally terrifying are the racists coming out of the woodwork to terrorise Aussies

 

[jmc]

Where at?

Not far from Central, south of where this is happening, but still not far away.

 

[smallville fan]

It's pretty creepy. I wonder why he hasn't made any demands?

Not really a criminologist so I wouldn't know but I'm guessing he enjoys the attention, madness and escalation until he gets bored?

 

[craigdbfan]

That chick who was holding the flag managed to run off.

 

[jmc]

It's pretty creepy. I wonder why he hasn't made any demands?

Equally terrifying are the racists coming out of the woodwork to terrorise Aussies

He apparently wants an ISIS Flag and a chat with the PM. I can you now ISIS flags are in short supply around these parts.

 

[craigdbfan]

They need to snipe this idiot already.

 

[jmc]

that's not our style.

 

[chamber-music]

This is crazy.

 

[Hound55]

It's pretty creepy. I wonder why he hasn't made any demands?

Equally terrifying are the racists coming out of the woodwork to terrorise Aussies

He has. Cops have been doing a good job locking things down and keeping things under wraps.

News.com.au, channel 10 and nine msn can frankly go f*** themselves with the way they've dealt with this entire thing.

 

[Hound55]

That chick who was holding the flag managed to run off.

...or was negotiated out.

Again, cops have done a good job controlling the flow of information. They didn't even release the fact that they had been communicating with the perpetrator until the information could no longer be contained (the first three got out).

 

[SuperJediHero]

ISIS sympathizer. I am afraid of more beheadings :|


I agree they need to snipe this idiot already. Negotiating with terrorists, someone agrees with ISIS no less seem like the wrong method, but what do I know?