Have you ever heard of the 2005 Cronulla riots? No? Neither have I until last night when I came across a movie on Netflix called Down Under. It’s a dark comedy movie that’s set during the aftermath of the above mentioned riots that brought racism in Australia to light. This display of racial violence shocked people not only across the country, but the world over. It would be its 16th year anniversary a few days from now.
I couldn’t believe that such an event was something that actually happened in Australia. Unfortunately, it did. But before I scare off any of you from moving to this beautiful country, I want to say that based on my experience, Australia is an inclusive nation. But I’m not saying that I’ve never experienced a few subtle racism here and there. Nonetheless, what happened in 2005 have become one of the darkest moments in the history of Australia as a multicultural country.
What happened?
On the morning of the 11th of December 2005, a riot targeting men who appear to be Middle Eastern broke out on Sydney’s Cronulla Beach. Thousands of people participated in what they called a ‘Leb and Wog Bashing Day’ after 270,000 text messages were sent to mobilise the riots. To those of you who are unfamiliar with the term wog, it’s a racist slang which refers to those who are of Southern/ Southeast European or Middle Eastern decent.
Source (Photo): news.com
Racist slogans such as ‘We grew here, you flew here’ were on display alongside people draped in Australian flags. It was said that the gathering was initially peaceful until some speakers stirred up the crowd into a volatile mood. That, plus people getting drunk have resulted in violence filled riots, where people were being hit, stabbed, and even glassed. As the day went on, the riot kept on growing and rioters kept attacking anyone who looked Middle Eastern. Images of these have spread around the world.
Later that day, convoys of young men from Middle Eastern backgrounds arrived in the areas of Cronulla, Brighton-Le-Sands, and Maroubra. They carried out a series of retaliations such as hit and runs. These violent confrontations continued for a few more days. The police did eventually intervene but the violence have still spread widely. Even some of the police and ambulance officers who responded have been attacked. Though later removed, travel warnings were also issued for Australia by some countries.
Before the Cronulla Riots
Cronulla Beach is a popular weekend spot specially for the surrounding local communities. There was an increase in the number of ‘Middle Eastern’ beach goers in Cronulla beach during the 1990s and early 2000s. The cultural differences in beach behaviour between them and the Anglo-Australians created some tension. This was further heightened by the highly publicised cases of sexual assaults carried out by young Lebanese Australians in Sydney as well as the 2001 terror attacks. These events have created an unpleasant stereotype against those of Middle Eastern descent.
What really ignited the fire was the fight that broke out at North Cronulla beach on the 4th of December 2005. It was between three lifesavers and a group of young Middle Eastern men. Two of the lifesavers were injured and the other one was charged with assault. There were different versions of what actually happened that got around. This event caused a community backlash which eventually fueled the riots that followed.
Source (Photo): honisoit
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Reactions, Aftermath, and Reconciliation
I think the feeling that most of the country felt towards what happened was shame. The headlines of newspapers immediately after the riots included phrases such as ‘Our disgrace’ and ‘Our racist shame’. For obvious reasons, leaders of Lebanese communities strongly condemned the violence that took place in the riots. However, it was said that the Prime Minister at the time believed that what happened was ‘primarily a law and order issue’ and that there was no underlying racism in Australia.
Years after, many young Muslim Australians continued to avoid going to the Cronulla beach area, according to an article on the NMA’s website. Reconciliation efforts were made by the community and government agencies. From young Muslims volunteering as life savers to government agencies setting up a number of cross cultural projects.
Is there still racism in Australia?
I’m not sure if racism is something that can be completely eradicated, at least not in the foreseeable future. Though Australia has not seen a large scale racist riot since the ones from 2005, I would say that yes, there’s still racism in Australia. According to the 2021 Human Rights Barometer, many Australian groups such as Indigenous people (55%), refugees (51%), ethnic minorities (45%), and immigrants (44%), face racism and need protection.
My Two Cents
Racism in Australia is a very sensitive topic to talk about specially because we take pride in our multiculturalism. You might be wondering why I’m talking about something that happened a decade and a half ago. I guess it all boils down to my curiosity and eagerness to learn everything that I can about the country I now call home, be it good or bad. And also because I think that even though it can make some uncomfortable and it’s probably something that a lot of people have moved on from, I think that there are ‘moral lessons’ for everyone to learn. But it’s up to you to figure out what that lesson is for you.
Don’t get me wrong, I love living in Australia! I still think that as a whole, Australia is pretty welcoming, based on what I have experienced. But in saying that, there’s no denying that racism still does thrive in this cultural melting pot. I don’t have the right ‘qualifications’ to say why that is or what we can do about it. But I do want to say that the fight against racism begins at home.
P.S. I’ve linked a documentary about the 2005 Cronulla Riots below.
Disclaimer All content and information in this post is for purposes of sharing my experiences only, does not constitute professional advice and does not establish any kind of professional-client relationship.
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