Martin Place Hostage Situation (1 Viewer)

[Speed6]

A female barrister who died in the Sydney siege has been hailed a hero amid reports she was killed shielding her pregnant friend from gunfire.

Katrina Dawson died along with cafe manager Tori Johnson, who was praised for trying to grab the gun off hostage-taker Man Haron Monis at the end of the 16-hour siege.

Source: News.sky.com

 

[Speed6]

NSW Police re-activate city-wide anti-terrorism operation

The NSW Police have relaunched a high visibility operation named Operation Hammerhead following the siege incident in Martin Place.

Operation Hammerhead will see more police officers patrolling public places and major transport hubs such as the Harbour Bridge and Sydney

"Our aim is to provide and maintain high levels of public safety to ensure all NSW residents are safe and during these testing times they feel safe," Assistant Commissioner Mick Fuller said.

It will begin on Tuesday evening and run for 24 hours for the next three weeks.

Central Metropolitan Commander and Assistant Commissioner Mick Fuller said a major part of operation's strategy will focus on maintaining strong community engagement.

"General duties police, as well as specialist commands, will be deployed from the Police Operation Centre which will remain open 24/7 during the operation," Mr Fuller said.

The operation will include police from a range of departments including Riot Squad officers, Police Transport Command and mounted units.

"NSW, and for that matter, Australia is a safe place, and we want everyone who works, lives or visit NSW to feel safe," Assistant Commissioner Fuller said.

"We want the community of Sydney and for that matter NSW, to go about their day to day business with confidence and comfort in the knowledge they are safe."

Source: SMH

 

[astroman]

both Hostages killed, died heroically, they should be honoured.

 

[Speed6]

both Hostages killed, died heroically, they should be honoured.

They should both be given a 'Medal of Valor' to their families for their bravery for standing up to this monster.

 

[Smooth Operator]

What I want to know is do the Police have access to the CCTV footage inside/are there CCTV cameras?

 

[BLIT2014]

The siege should not be used to justify draconian new anti-terrorism laws, argues David Marr.

Old laws allowed police to bug his phones, intercept his emails and place him under surveillance. They didn’t even need a warrant to access his metadata and track down everywhere Monis had been and everyone he was talking to year after year.
They didn’t need fresh laws threatening journalists with 10 years’ jail for revealing Asio’s newfangled “special” operations. Look at the superb cooperation the press displayed during the siege: forgoing scoop after scoop to follow the police strategy of denying Monis the oxygen of publicity ...
This is not a time for blanket new anti-terrorism laws. More facts may yet emerge, but Monis seems not to have been part of any terrorist operation. He wasn’t under orders. The horrors in the Lindt cafe seem to owe as much to Hollywood as terrorist manuals. All we know for certain is that Monis was a terrorist in his own crazy imagination.
Read the rest of the article here.
http://www.theguardian.com/australi...used-to-justify-draconian-anti-terrorism-laws
Legal commentator Richard Ackland says there are series of questions about why Man Haron Monis was granted bail three times in the past 12 months. But he argues the answer is not greater police powers.

This man was known to be threateningly unstable, so we are entitled to ask why a firmer grip wasn’t applied to him, given the lavish powers at the disposal of counter-terrorism agencies.
The point about security people is that they are forever asking for bigger and better powers and this is granted by politicians anxious for insurance policies against nothing dreadful happening on their patch.
Read the article in full here.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...pplied-to-sydney-siege-gunman-man-haron-monis


Well worth reading these articles bros

 

[BLIT2014]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert has expressed sympathy for the families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson.
Unsere Gedanken sind bei den Opfern der Geiselnahme und ihren Familien. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. #SydneyStrong

 

[obliviousninja]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=745351822219929&set=vb.100002353535442&type=2&theater

^^

 

[BLIT2014]

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/flowers-m...141216-128fxk.html?aggregate=&selectedImage=0


These photos are nice...

 

[Speed6]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=745351822219929&set=vb.100002353535442&type=2&theater

^^

Saw that on live news, disgusted by his actions.

 

[BLIT2014]

19s ago
20:00
Monis would have already been in prison if government’s changes to the bail system were in place, according to New South Wales Attorney-General Brad Hazzard.

ABC News quoted him saying:

This government changed the Bail Act to ensure greater safety for our community.
It was changed to ensure that offenders involved in serious crime will not get bail. That’s our intent.
This offender was granted bail under a previous legislation, in fact under two previous bail acts.

 

[Smooth Operator]

19s ago
20:00
Monis would have already been in prison if government’s changes to the bail system were in place, according to New South Wales Attorney-General Brad Hazzard.

ABC News quoted him saying:

This government changed the Bail Act to ensure greater safety for our community.
It was changed to ensure that offenders involved in serious crime will not get bail. That’s our intent.
This offender was granted bail under a previous legislation, in fact under two previous bail acts.

Ughh.. If this whole situation turns in to politics and what if's....

It inevitably will though to some extent IMO. Hopefully parties and the Government don't try to exploit the whole situation.

 

[Absolutezero]

http://www.ascham.nsw.edu.au/Ascham-News/News-Articles/A-letter-to-the-Ascham-School-community

 

[BLIT2014]

15s ago
20:13
The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has compared the “heroism” of the victims to the sacrifice of Christ.

In his homily to victims at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, the archbishop said:

Reports have emerged this morning of the heroism of the male victim of the siege. Apparently seeing an opportunity, Tori grabbed the gun. Tragically it went off killing him, but it triggered the response of the police and eventual freedom for most of the hostages. Reports have also emerged that Katrina Dawson was shielding her pregnant friend from gunfire. These heroes were willing to lay down their lives so others might live, imitating the sacrifice of Christ who said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for each other. Now spontaneous tributes are appearing in Martin Place and on the internet. Leaders of all religious, political and ethnic backgrounds are calling for calm, for prayer, for support for each other. Services are being offered for the victims, their families and friends. The darkness need not overcome the light.

 

[BLIT2014]

Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak has become the latest world leader to offer condolences and an expression of support for Australia.


Mohd Najib Tun Razak @NajibRazak
Follow
We stand in solidarity with all Australians. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the #SydneySiege yesterday.

 

[malcolm21]

"She achieved a perfect Tertiary Entrance Rank of 100 in 1994"

Is this the equivalent of 99.95 atar?

 

[BLIT2014]

"She achieved a perfect Tertiary Entrance Rank of 100 in 1994"

Is this the equivalent of 99.95 atar?

Yeah highest that people could get then

 

[BLIT2014]

51s ago
20:24
Thousands of people have continued to add to the growing floral tributes in Martin Place, according to reports from Sydney.
Jeremy Fernandez @JezNews
Follow
As night falls, the queue of ppl wanting to lay flowers now extends about a block. #Sydneysiege

https://twitter.com/9NewsSyd/status/544762345432829952/photo/1

 

[BLIT2014]

16m ago
20:32
Australia’s communications minister Malcolm Turnbull, choked back tears as he urged Australians not to be “corrupted by hatred”, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Speaking after attending the mass for the victims at St Mary’s Cathedral, Turnball said:

I thought today’s service was so beautiful. Because it was all about love. It was about that love, that love of God ... the loving example of Jesus that should inspire us all not to be corrupted by hatred and violence, and to remain united as Australians, now and forever.

 

[BLIT2014]

etails about nine of the 17 hostages caught up in the siege have been published by the Australian news agency AAP. It has these pen portraits, starting with the two victims.

Katrina Dawson
The 38-year-old mother of three died after a shootout erupted when police stormed the Martin Place cafe. She was a barrister at Eight Selborne Chambers and a former star student at Ascham girls school.

Tori Johnson
The 34-year-old Lindt cafe manager and former Terrigal High School student died on the way to hospital. There were reports he tried to wrestle the weapon from the gunman. He was remembered as a dedicated professional who put his staff first

Marcia Mikhael
The Westpac employee from Sydney’s west had a chilling post appear on her social media account at the height of the hostage crisis.
“The man who is keeping us hostage has asked for small and simple requests and none have been met,” the Facebook post read.
“He is now threatening to start killing us.”
The post was taken down not long after.
The 43-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to her leg and underwent surgery on Tuesday.

Stefan Balafoutis
A barrister at the Tenth Floor Chambers on Phillip Street. He was reportedly one of five people who fled the cafe after 4pm.

Julie Taylor
The corporate law barrister from Eight Selborne was at the Lindt Cafe with her colleague, Katrina Dawson. She appears to have featured in a video sent to news sites from inside the cafe listing the gunman’s demands.

Elly Chen
The Lindt cafe employee made headlines around the world after she was captured fleeing the gunman’s stronghold into the arms of heavily-armed police.

Harriette Denny
A Lindt cafe employee. Her Sunshine Coast family told Fairfax Media the 30-year-old was safe and well but terribly upset she lost her friend and colleague Tori Johnson.

Puspendu Ghosh
Ghosh was working as a project manager at Westpac. He comes from West Bengal, India. His mother, Smriti Kana Ghosh, told the Times of India she was happy and relieved when she heard about the safety of her son.

Vishwakant Reddy
The IT worker reportedly lived in Sydney with his wife, Shilpa. His mother, Sulochana, told Indian media she was “anxiously waiting to speak to him”. The Indian minister for external affairs tweeted on Tuesday that Mr Reddy was safe. “He is undergoing some medical check-ups and will be home safe.”