http://www.news.com.au/national/police-use-pepper-spray-on-anti-islamic-film-protesters-in-sydney-at-the-us-consulate/story-fndo4bst-1226474744811Arrests made after police officers injured at anti-Islamic film protest in Sydney CBD
POLICE used capsicum spray during a running battle with angry rioters in the Sydney CBD yesterday as an anti-America rally erupted into a series of violent clashes.
Triggered by a YouTube video mocking Islam and the prophet Mohammed, the city was rocked by a wild melee involving more than a 1000 protesters, with police being struck by water bottles, rocks and pieces of timber.
Six policemen were among a dozen people injured, with two officers requiring hospital treatment as the inner-city streets and Hyde Park turned into bloody battlegrounds.
Frontline police, including a dozen dog handlers, resorted to using capsicum spray as a wall of protesters tried to storm past them.
The Sydney riot follows a deadly wave of Islamic protests around the world which have left at least six people dead - including the horrific killings of US ambassador Chris Stevens and three US nationals in Libya on Tuesday.
The Sydney riot caused traffic chaos, forcing diversions as the placard-waving protesters - many of them women and children - gathered at Sydney's Town Hall around noon before moving to the US consulate in Martin Place.
A rioter smashes a police window with a milk crate in the Islamic riots in the CBD of Sydney. Picture: Jane Dempster Source: The Daily Telegraph
Most disturbing was a shocking image of a young boy in Hyde Park holding a sign declaring: "Behead all those who insult the prophet". It went viral on social media.
Other sign slogans included: "Our dead are in paradise, your dead are in hell".The crowd then headed to Hyde Park chanting "Down, down USA".
It's there where the violence exploded. As police tried to disperse the crowd officers were attacked. They used capsicum spray to defend themselves. Police said cars were damaged and eight people were arrested.
At least one man was arrested in the late afternoon for attacking a police dog.
At least seven people were taken to hospital. Violence again broke out at 4.30pm when riot police clashed with the surging crowd as it attempted to move from Hyde Park towards Martin Place.
About 300 police in riot gear and on horseback chased the rally, numbering 100, east of Hyde Park and down William St, leaving traffic at a standstill.
Police injured ... at an Islamic protest in the streets of Sydney from Hyde Park to George Street. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: The Daily Telegraph
Sections of roads, including Martin Place and Castlereagh, George and Market streets, were shut down while protesters moved through the city.
In one ugly incident, a man whipped up the protesters when he began yelling at the crowd, screaming: "Shame on you for using religion to advocate for murder." He was set upon by a group of men before police dragged him to safety.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard condemned the violence.
"Violent protest is never acceptable - not today, not ever," she said..
Premier Barry O'Farrell promised that those responsible would be punished.
"This is completely unacceptable behaviour," he said.
"The right to protest comes with an equal responsibility to do so peacefully and lawfully, and that responsibility has been comprehensively ignored today.
Hundreds clash at Islam film protest
Watch
Hundreds clash at Islam film protest
Police have used pepper spray on protesters after a demonstration against an anti-Islam video turned violent in Sydney's CBD.
Play
0:00 / 5:03Scrubber
mute
Share
Fullscreen
"I condemn the scuffles and violence witnessed at this protest, especially the injuries inflicted on police.
"Those responsible should expect to face full legal consequences for their irresponsible and unwarranted actions."
Sydney remained on alert last night as police feared the violence could spill over again, despite pleading for peace and calm.
Police Minister Mike Gallacher said: "The violence we have seen is unacceptable.
Islamic protest in the streets of Sydney from Hyde Park to George Streets. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: The Daily Telegraph
"What we saw was a complete disrespect of our peaceful way of life.
"I praise the NSW Police Force for their swift and poised action. They are trained for situations like this and they did an excellent job in containing what was a very aggressive and violent crowd."
Protest organisers - who used social media to corral the protesters to Town Hall - said the demonstration was designed to be peaceful.
They stopped to pray and knelt on the ground in between making speeches and protest chants.
One organiser, Sam, told The Sunday Telegraph: "If someone attacked any religion, if Jesus was attacked tomorrow, we would be back here."
Islamic protest in the streets of Sydney from Hyde Park to George Street. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: The Daily Telegraph
When asked whether the protest had been authorised through Sydney City Council, Sam confirmed that it had not because the group was unfamiliar with the rules surrounding staging demonstrations.
Martin Place and Castlereagh, George and Market streets, were shut down while protesters moved through the city.
Police Supt Mark Walton said: "In a very short amount of time we had a significant amount of police able to attend and deal with these people.
Islamic protest in the streets of Sydney from Hyde Park to George Streets. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: The Daily Telegraph
"In fact, certainly by 1pm we had at least 80 public order riot squad in operation supporting frontline police here and we were able to deal with and react to this crowd."
Another protester said: "
We love [Muslim prophet] Mohammed more than ourselves and more than our wives."Abdullah Sary said the gathering was part of a worldwide protest covering Asia, Africa and western Europe.
Islamic riots in the CBD of Sydney get out of control. Picture: Jane Dempster Source: The Daily Telegraph
"We are here to rally in protest about what they have said [on YouTube] about the prophet Mohammed," he said.
follows several held overseas since protestors first stormed the US consulate in Libya on Tuesday, where ambassador Chris Stevens was killed along with three staff members.
Islamic protest in the streets of Sydney from Hyde Park to George Streets. Picture: Simon Bullard Source: The Daily Telegraph
Photograph that will shock Sydneysiders
HE barely looks old enough to read but this little boy is holding a sign emblazoned with words of hatred.
"Behead all those who insult the prophet," said the sign, held by the child yesterday in Hyde Park as a woman photographed the scene and a baby slept in a stroller.
The photograph, taken in the midst of violent demonstrations that engulfed Sydney's central business district, was taken by journalist Joel Tozer and uploaded on Twitter at 3.45pm after the protest had moved from the streets to Hyde Park.
It went viral around the globe within minutes and sparked a series of tweets condemning it.
Demonstrators in the CBD of Sydney. Picture: Jane Dempster Source: The Daily Telegraph
Kuranda Seyit from the Forum on Australia's Islamic Relations said: "Personally, I don't like to see it, it's disturbing. We have seen similar images of children carrying guns in the Middle East and it sends a negative message about Islam."
Of all the images captured in yesterday's riot, this picture will be remembered most. A woman, standing a few metres in front of the child, was spotted taking photographs of the child on her iPhone.
The youngster was not alone. Several other children, aged from five to 12, were also seen in the large crowd of protesters, holding a variety of placards with calls of hatred.
Other slogans scrawled on large pieces of cardboard and proudly held aloft included "Our dead are in paradise, your dead are in hell" and "Behead those who insult Islam".
Topic: Check out this picture of a 'peaceful' muslim child protesting film in Australia (Read 831 times)