[Cal.]

This is awful.

[Drew.]

Any survivors should be demanding free Lindt chocolate for life

[T*]

Originally Posted by SaintAlexis

Any survivors should be demanding free Lindt chocolate for life

It's not Lindt's fault though.

[letmein]

Originally Posted by Mistletom

It's not Lindt's fault though.

Unless they hired the bastard.

[T*]

Originally Posted by letmein

Unless they hired the bastard.

Not funny?

[letmein]

Originally Posted by Mistletom

Not funny?

It wasn't meant to be.

[T*]

We have some images from Martin Place where a cafe is under siege. A flag bearing Arabic writing, believed to be the Shahadah, has been hung in the window.

TV Pics showsLindt Chocolate Cafe siege Sydney Australiabelieved IS siege holding hostages in a coffee chocolate cafe with armed police in attendancePic supplied by Pixel 8000 Ltd Photograph: pixel8000/C9 supplied by pixel 8000 ltd

TV Pics showsLindt Chocolate Cafe siege Sydney Australiabelieved IS siege holding hostages in a coffee chocolate cafe with armed police in attendancePic supplied by Pixel 8000 Ltd Photograph: pixel8000/C9 supplied by pixel 8000 ltd

[T*]

There was just a woman describing how they are being evacuating- They have left everything behind (eg cars) and are taking them to a point where they can be away from the area

[T*]

live stream link again

Youtube video

[T*]

Prime Minister Tony Abbott issues statement

Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has issued a statement about the siege. The National Security Committee of Cabinet has convened for briefings.

New South Wales Police and the Australian Federal Police are currently responding to a reported hostage-taking incident in Martin Place in Sydney.

I have spoken with NSW Premier Mike Baird and offered him all possible Commonwealth support and assistance.

The National Security Committee of Cabinet has also convened for briefings on the situation.

This is obviously a deeply concerning incident but all Australians should be reassured that our law enforcement and security agencies are well trained and equipped and are responding in a thorough and professional manner.

We will provide regular updates as further information becomes available.

.

[andybigbro]

This is really bad!

Why can some people be so evil!!!
I hope they all get out safe!

[T*]

Nathan Grivas works in the Lindt Cafe and arrived for work just after the siege started. He told my colleague Oliver Milman he saw one of his colleagues pressed up against the window.

“It was already locked [when he arrived]. I didn’t get a good look at them, as soon as I saw the gun all I wanted to do was get out,” he said.

He said he thought one of the hostages looked at him.

“Lucky i didn’t start at 9 today. Hopefully they’ll be okay.”

.

[T*]

New South Wales premier, Mike Baird, has issued a statement:

All my thoughts and prayers are with those members of the public affected by the situation in Martin Place and the NSW Police who are trained to deal with these events.

I have spoken to Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and have full confidence the NSW Police are working effectively to resolve the situation.

I will provide further information as appropriate.

.

[T*]

Lindt Australia CEO says that there is about 40-50 people including customers and workers- and there is more businesses on upper levels

[T*]

My colleague, Calla Wallaquist, spoke to a woman evacuated from Channel 7 studios as the siege started:

Mieke Buchan told Guardian Australia she was preparing to go on Channel 7’s Morning Show for a guest segment this morning when the broadcaster’s live feed started showing footage of the siege.

“I looked up and the live feed was coming in of hostages pushed up against the window, looking terrified,” she said.
“The first direction (from police) was that we all had to keep clear of the windows, and them we were evacuated and told to move back 100 metres, then some very concerned police made us move back 100 more.
“I have been to some fairly scary counties, but there’s something about it being (in Sydney)...
“Look at me, I’m still shaking.”

.

[T*]

first pic of another person inside- may be a gunman and has a bandana with arabic text on it

[arista]

Originally Posted by Mistletom

first pic of another person inside- may be a gunman and has a bandana with arabic text on it

Yes they need to kill him
3 hours gone so far

[Ammi]

The consensus translation for the bandana is: “We sacrifice ourselves for you, O Muhammad.” Though this, too, is contested, with other suggesting “Sacrifice” could also be interpreted as “Here for you”

[Ammi]

3m ago
04:39


People seen running out of Lindt cafe


It appears three people have fled from the Lindt cafe. One staff member and what appears to be two customers were seen running from the cafe while police stood out the front with weapons drawn.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Ammi

3m ago
04:39


People seen running out of Lindt cafe


It appears three people have fled from the Lindt cafe. One staff member and what appears to be two customers were seen running from the cafe while police stood out the front with weapons drawn.

Thats good

[kirklancaster]

Why are you all so shocked, surprised, horrified?

Do you all think that I invest precious time in putting long posts on various related threads on here because I'm some type of obsessive, anti-Muslim cretin who has 'nothing better to do'?

This will never stop.
Every country in the world is their target.
Innocent civilians, women and children are their targets.
No life is sacred to them.

We cannot reason with them.
We cannot appease them.
We cannot pacify them.

They do want money and there is no 'ransom' which we can pay because none is being sought by them, except one - the total capitulation by our democratically elected governments, a total submission to Islam by our people, and a total acceptance of a miserable existence of life under Sharia Law -- for those who are not executed first because they are deemed by these extremists as too 'offensive' to Allah and too 'infidel' to live.

This is not a 'Movie' which is 'coming to a cinema near you soon' - it's reality, but it is a reality which is definitely coming to a town or city near you soon nonetheless.

It's here. It's happening. It's real. Better get 'used' to it.

Millions of pounds spent on 'extra security', the killing of a lone Jihadist gumnan, or the capture of a few Islamic Fundamentalist plotters living right among us in our cities and suburbs, is all worthy and welcoming, but is merely alleviation of the symptoms, not addressing the evil cause of this terminal disease.

That cause is Islamic Fundamentalism.

But it is no great secret.

Their 'Hate' preachers have been screaming it from dais and rostrums within virtually every city in the UK for decades. We have ignored or tolerated it.

Their jihadists have been practising it on our city streets increasingly over the past few years - the accosting and intimidation of 'non Muslim' passers by, the slaying of off duty soldiers and innocent civilians. We are shocked by each individual incident -- but separated by space and time (like my helium balloon analogy in another thread) we do not 'join the dots', do not pay heed to the very real underlying meaning of the links, and each individual 'shocking' incident becomes yesterday's news as we return our attention to coping with life's other more mundane demands.

Their long ensconced 'fifth columnist' agents have - covertly, almost imperceptibly - been implementing parts of their 'Grand Plan' for decades in the UK - changes to our Western Democratic liberal way of life on all levels -- to policy in schools, local government, National Government, even our traditions and customs. But viewed independently and separated by space and time (like my helium balloon analogy in another thread) these changes seem so trivial that we do not 'join the dots', do not pay heed to the very real underlying meaning of the links, do not 'see the big picture' which such seemingly insignificant changes are but part of.

This isn't fantasy. It's fact.

And the really sad thing is - that we cannot win.

We cannot win while ever we continue to treat the inhuman, barbaric demons behind these atrocities as human, and while ever we continue to shackle ourselves with misguided oh so 'civilised' and noble policies in dealing with these insane murderers.

To quote Capone (Robert De Niro) in the film 'The Untouchables':

"When you got an all-out prizefight, you wait until the fight is over, one guy is left standing. 'N' that's how you know who won."

And to bastardise the words of Malone (Sean Connery) from the same film:

"Ain't that just like a Westerner - Brings a knife to a gunfight".

[Drew.]

Seeing the peoples faces who are responsible is always the strangest/scariest parts of things like this

[T*]

New South Wales police have issued a statement saying they are trying to make contact with the people inside the cafe:

There is a police operation underway at Martin Place. Police and emergency services have responded and a number of streets around the area have been closed. The Martin Place train station is also shut.

Police are dealing with an armed incident and specialist officers are attempting to make contact those inside a café.

Some nearby offices have been evacuated as a precaution. Anyone else in the area encompassing Hunter, George, Elizabeth and Macquarie streets bordering Martin Place is directed to remain indoors and away from open windows. Anyone in the vicinity but outside that area is free to leave their buildings.

Police urge members of the public to remain calm and note that an appropriate police presence is in place.

Police urge the media to be responsible in their reporting. Speculation can cause unnecessary alarm.

.

[T*]

I am seeing a lot of people tweeting/asking about the supposed police raids taking place in Lakemba at the same time as the siege. Ray Hadley, a conservative presenter with 2GB, said raids of homes in Lakemba, which has a large Muslim population, were taking place now.

Sources have told my colleague, Michael Safi, there are no raids underway in that suburb. About 20 police are touring the Lakemba mosque as part of a police induction day, which may have been the source of those reports.

.

[T*]

things are apparently calming down in terms of evacuating people