15-12-2014, 08:26 AM
Not much is known other than at least one gunman has taken hostages in a cafe in downtown Sydney - directly opposite a large TV station's offices [surely not an accident]. Whether a 'real' event or a false-flag one is too early to tell. The major media, on cue, have adopted this worldwide as the major news event....... It is important, but is certainly being used for its sensational nature. So far, no one has been hurt and there is some negotiation going on.
Sydney on Lockdown As Dramatic Siege Unfolds
Police are responding to a hostage situation in downtown Sydney.
By James West
| Sun Dec. 14, 2014 7:57 PM EST
![[Image: untitled-1_2.jpg]](http://www.motherjones.com/files/imagecache/top-of-content-main/untitled-1_2.jpg)
The heart of Sydney, Australia, is currently in lockdown, as a siege unfolds at a downtown cafe. Reporting is still fuzzy and ongoing, but here's what we know so far: Police are responding to a situation at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, a central plaza in the city surrounded by banks and law firms, and not far from the state parliament buildings and the Sydney Opera House.
The number of hostages taken have not been confirmed. Channel Seven, a TV station with studios and offices in Martin Place, is reporting police sources as saying there are 13 people being held. The number of hostage-takers has also not been confirmed.
Twitter users have posted images of people, apparently hostages, with their hands against the windows of the cafe and holding up a black flag with Arabic writing on it. Guardian Australia is reporting the flag reads, "There is no god but the God, Muhammad is the messenger of God." It is not the Islamic State flag. Large parts of the area have been cordoned off.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which has unlocked its live stream for an international audience, is providing rolling coverage. Channel Seven is also providing live coverage here.
The Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has released a statement saying his government is convening an emergency session of the National Security Committee of Cabinet:
UPDATE: Sunday, December 14, 2014, 9 p.m. EST: The Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has addressed reporters in Australia's capital, Canberra. He didn't provide any further factual detail about the unfolding saga in Sydney. Notably, he did not outline potential reasons for the attack. "We don't yet know the motivation of the perpetrator," he said, though he added that "obviously there are some indications" the attack could be political in nature. Abbott said the normal business of government would continue:
As things unfold, we've compiled a list of sources on Twitter to follow. Find it here.
Sydney on Lockdown As Dramatic Siege Unfolds
Police are responding to a hostage situation in downtown Sydney.
By James West
| Sun Dec. 14, 2014 7:57 PM EST
The heart of Sydney, Australia, is currently in lockdown, as a siege unfolds at a downtown cafe. Reporting is still fuzzy and ongoing, but here's what we know so far: Police are responding to a situation at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, a central plaza in the city surrounded by banks and law firms, and not far from the state parliament buildings and the Sydney Opera House.
The number of hostages taken have not been confirmed. Channel Seven, a TV station with studios and offices in Martin Place, is reporting police sources as saying there are 13 people being held. The number of hostage-takers has also not been confirmed.
Twitter users have posted images of people, apparently hostages, with their hands against the windows of the cafe and holding up a black flag with Arabic writing on it. Guardian Australia is reporting the flag reads, "There is no god but the God, Muhammad is the messenger of God." It is not the Islamic State flag. Large parts of the area have been cordoned off.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which has unlocked its live stream for an international audience, is providing rolling coverage. Channel Seven is also providing live coverage here.
The Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has released a statement saying his government is convening an emergency session of the National Security Committee of Cabinet:
UPDATE: Sunday, December 14, 2014, 9 p.m. EST: The Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has addressed reporters in Australia's capital, Canberra. He didn't provide any further factual detail about the unfolding saga in Sydney. Notably, he did not outline potential reasons for the attack. "We don't yet know the motivation of the perpetrator," he said, though he added that "obviously there are some indications" the attack could be political in nature. Abbott said the normal business of government would continue:
I can understand the concerns and anxieties of the Australian people at a time like this, but our thoughts and prayers must above all go out to the individuals who are caught up in this. I can think of almost nothing more distressing, more terrifying than to be caught up in such a situation and our hearts go out to these people.
UPDATE 2: Monday, December 15, 2014, 12:15 a.m. EST: It appears that at least three hostages have gotten free, though whether they escaped or were released is not yet clear.As things unfold, we've compiled a list of sources on Twitter to follow. Find it here.
"Let me issue and control a nation's money and I care not who writes the laws. - Mayer Rothschild
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass
