Some crazy shit going down in Sydney?

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2014/dec/15/sydney-siege-reports-of-hostage-situation-inside-martin-place-cafe-live?CMP=soc_568

30 hostages in a cafe in Sydney, hope none of them are WATMMers.

Been watching this on Al Jazeera for a while now. Scary shit.

Edit: I've been reading about airplane hijacking epidemic of the 60s and 70s lately, makes me think live the media coverage of this could be similarly contagion spreading.

/dread

Scary.

I hope the terrorist gets slapped when all of this is over.

  On 12/15/2014 at 9:07 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

sorry gang, i'm still alive.

 

however, these are my demands:

 

2 iced lattes with cinnamon sticks

 

a bag of skittles to throw at seagulls

 

glass coke bottle from when cocaine was still in the formula

 

a getaway car that only plays nightranger and motely crue

Would you like the getaway car to be Knight-Rider?

It's one guy, and he's more likely another mentally unstable man, like the two attacks we had in Canada the other month.

Hey and you know, count your blessings, at least you don't have to worry about the cops shooting you, or an angst-ridden high-schooler, or a crazy hillbilly, or your lover.

Shit kicking off in Belgium now

Belgium siege: Armed men enter Ghent apartment (BBC)

  On 12/15/2014 at 12:02 PM, jasondonervan said:

Shit kicking off in Belgium now

 

Belgium siege: Armed men enter Ghent apartment (BBC)

Was just about to post this one, but it's already confirmed to be unrelated to the Sydney situation or ISIS, no relation with terrorism at all according to what I just read.

  On 12/15/2014 at 12:07 PM, Herr Jan said:

 

  On 12/15/2014 at 12:02 PM, jasondonervan said:

Shit kicking off in Belgium now

 

Belgium siege: Armed men enter Ghent apartment (BBC)

Was just about to post this one, but it's already confirmed to be unrelated to the Sydney situation or ISIS, no relation with terrorism at all according to what I just read.

Aye, got a bit caught up there and neglected to add further detail, thanks Jan

  On 12/15/2014 at 12:37 PM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

still seems to be happening here in syd!

 

the demands have been posted on social media but the newspapers have been asked not to print them until it's over. i don't know where to find them but i am curious

Someone compared the hostage taker with a character from Four Lions, apparently he brought the wrong flag and is demanding that he is given an ISIS-flag in return for a hostage.

Not sure if this is true, but if it is...

edit: one of the hostages has posted the demands apparently:

  On 12/15/2014 at 12:47 PM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

he has asked for an isis flag and the flag he has had so far is very similar and jihadi related. seems like a minor detail. the fact that the cops haven't rushed the place or sniped the guy implies a bomb threat

I thought that too, but I recognize it: a fellow student wore a beanie with the same thing on it... Used by the wrong groups, but in origin not a hostile 'slogan', apparently.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/25776171/explainer-this-is-not-an-islamic-state-flag/

https://twitter.com/DailyMailAU/status/544403765575839744

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZwq5OMhT98

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7eOz8lyA5E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kww2PomzyI0

Livestream here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOJWvZt7a5c

Some really nasty comments in that sidebar by IS-supporters. Unbelievable.

aaaaand they're offline

i miss compson

  On 12/15/2014 at 2:27 PM, Blank said:

The comments in that chatroom on the livestream - fucking hell...

Yeah that's fucking mental.

internet trolls.

paywalled^

  On 12/15/2014 at 2:33 PM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

what are they? racist? pro is?

Pro IS. Probably a large amount of those comments are being posted by people actually in IS, although they do have supporters around the world too. It's all about getting attention and trying to spark hatred. Ignore it. The dude is obviously frustrated by his 'message' being stifled, that's a good thing. Also, those people taking selfies and not giving a fuck? Yeah that's the right thing to do too, not a bad attitude to have.

  On 12/15/2014 at 2:42 PM, roasty said:

paywalled^

This, can't read beyond "Iranian self-styled sheik who is on bail for accessory to murder was last night holding 15 people hostage in a Sydney cafe"

Of course they're trolls, probably posting from IS territory in Iran where intelligence agencies can't do anything about it

Really hope the media doesn't jump on the Terrorist bandwagon - it's likely just another mentally-ill chronic petty criminal twat, like the Canadian fella. They just ally themselves with the terrorist cause-du-jour because it gives them some bullshit sense of purpose. And if it wasn't for all the media publicity and political bombast, people like this wouldn't even know about these terrorist causes and would be more likely to stick to good old petty theft.

Shit like this is not solved by drone strikes in far off rag-head land, but by the police and social services.

Hope this shit gets dealt with as peacefully as possible (obvs)

Thanks for that Mesh!

The identity has just been revealed by the media btw:

http://www.theage.com.au/nsw/martin-place-sydney-siege-gunman-identified-as-man-haron-monis-20141215-127sxt.html

  On 12/15/2014 at 3:18 PM, Tricone RC said:

Really hope the media doesn't jump on the Terrorist bandwagon

they already have, within the first half-hour of it happening. of course they're gonna, even if it's just one fool with a gun affiliating himself with a terrorist party. does that count as an actual terrorist act, if it's just one lunatic? I don't know. the reactionary commentary started immediately, both from colleagues and from randoms on the street blabbering into their phones.

I walked past the place several times this morning. not much going on, just a cordon with press and onlookers ringed around it, while the standoff carried on inside.

the doorway to the cafe is on the corner obscured by the kiosk, facing away from onlookers.

lots of other city buildings, besides the nearby ones which were evacuated, were locked down by their own security when the news first emerged, although they relaxed a bit later. after that, most people went home. city was empty by afternoon. which allowed me to get some shit done that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise due to queues/congestion.

what a tit.