The Down Under Lounge

[Botany Bay]

A female employee has made it out, fleeing in sheer terror down the Martin Place hill into the arms of heavily armoured police.

It will be hard to forget some of these images today. This will leave some scars.

Apparently five people have now been released/escaped.

 

[eyeresist]

Apparently Martin Place office workers are being told to prepare to sleep in the office tonight.

Surely Martin Place buildings have other exits, e.g. into back lanes?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Apaz, an army of terrorists is coming.

Or so it seems a good idea to prepare for

 

[mr.peany]

It's so bizarre to see this on home soil. I always thought we were impervious to this. I guess not. The sheer look of terror on one of the hostages that managed to escape is raw.

 

[Commishsleer]

Apparently Martin Place office workers are being told to prepare to sleep in the office tonight.

Surely Martin Place buildings have other exits, e.g. into back lanes?

I think they've been told to stay put until the police make sure its safe.

My husbands colleagues eventually made it out of their building.

Saying that I think the police are trying to keep some information to themselves for security reasons.

 

[Botany Bay]

It's interesting how little has been released in the way of information. It's almost as if there's been a deliberate attempt to starve this guy of the attention he's obviously craving.

So far our media outlets have shown admirable restraint here as well. Apparently all the hostages were forced to contact various media outlets to relay the gunman's demands. So far, none have obliged by reporting them.

All we know about the gunman is that he is known to police.

Despite the lack of information, our top police have been impressive. Take a bow Commissioner Scipione and Deputy Commissioner Burn.

11 hours of this now. It must be unbearable in there now.

 

[jaz'a]

I read on another site that sky news did report some of the demands.

The one issue I do have with the media coverage is that they haven't shown the picture of the gunman they do have. I have had the coverage playing all day since I found out at about 11. On a number of occasions they have called for any one who recognises the man to contact the police. They've discussed that whilst the picture is of average quality, it is good enough for those who might know him. Yet, I have not actually seen the mans picture put up. Perhaps the discussion saying it wasn't too bad a picture were inaccurate.

 

[Australis]

I just watched one of the most bizarre videos I have ever seen on YouTube. It was by some sort of conspiracy nut trying to prove the whole siege a hoax.

You should get him together with your friend. Yes, I'm a bad man.

 

[Miss Chicken]

It is over. The police have stormed the cafe after explosions were heard.

2 people confirmed dead - I hope one of them is the gunman.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I just watched one of the most bizarre videos I have ever seen on YouTube. It was by some sort of conspiracy nut trying to prove the whole siege a hoax.

You should get him together with your friend. Yes, I'm a bad man.

It will be interesting for me to hear her take on this. In the last few years I think her ability to reason has taken a plunge. She was so certain that the gunman wasn't Muslim that I don't know if she will accept that he is.

 

[Botany Bay]

It's ended. In tragedy, unfortunately.

What we know

The siege is over. Two people are confirmed dead. One person is the gunman. Reports of a third death at this stage remain unconfirmed.
Police stormed the building after hostages began running from the cafe just after 2am. Multiple shots were fired.
The gunman is Man Haron Monis. He is not believed to have any formal links to any terror organisation.
Some hostages are injured. At least four were taken to hospital via ambulance.
What we don't know

How the crescendo was reached. We know one man was seen running from the cafe at 2.03am. Several others ran out soon after, before the sound of gunshots.
Who fired first. It is not yet known whether police started firing or were responding to the gunman firing shots.
Who else is dead. The second person could be a hostage or a police officer. We don't yet know.
How many hostages had been taken. Five escaped on Monday. Seven were seen running from the building just before police stormed the cafe on Tuesday morning. We don't know how many were left in there, including the number of injured.
What specifically motivated the gunman. We do know he had been fighting a long and unsuccessful battle over his conviction for sending offensive letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers between 2007 and 2009.

More here if interested.

A sickening, needless tragedy that will change this country forever.

 

[Australis]

Only if we let it. And I don't think we should. f it does, that means guys like this win.

There is no other word for it. Evil. He was an evil scumbag of the worst order. We should have dumped him years ago, though of course hindsight is 20/20.

The guy who tried to get the gun off him is a hero, we should remember that, and I hope it's something we can aspire to.

 

[Miss Chicken]

The names of the two hostages who were killed have been released

Tori Johnson aged 34 (a man and the manager of Lindt)
Katrina Dawson aged 38 (a barrister and mother of 3)

 

[eyeresist]

The guy was already a murderer and multiple rapist, so IS can hardly argue that he "doesn't represent them".

 

[Australis]

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDPrmMv8uHg&feature=youtu.be[/yt]

 

[Dude111]

The Down Under Lounge

I dont wanna seem like I dont know anything but is this another PRIVATE message base you have to ask for access to? (Or goto group memberships to gain access)

 

[Australis]

Drop in, be respectful (up to a point). We're Aussies. We're relaxed.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

This thread is the lounge. If it was private you wouldn't be reading it

And if there are private boards connected to this one no one ever told me about 'em.

 

[Botany Bay]

Still feeling a bit numb two days later.

Crowds in the CBD are well down on what you'd expect a week out from Christmas, which is understandable. This will take time.

You can see the hesitation in peoples' eyes crossing the street.

Many people this morning are asking why this guy wasn't just taken out through the glass door by a sniper when it became obvious who the gunman was, and that he had no allies. Just a pitiable, mentally ill sociopath who has fallen under the spell of Islamic terrorism. I know absolutely nothing about hostage negotiations, and I am inclined to give police the benefit of the doubt in such circumstances, but I have no good answer for them.

 

[Marc]

Good thing the siege in Sydney is distracting people from the goverment's woes. First was the news that the budget situation continues to be a cluster fuck and now hockey is being a gutless coward and backflipped on his commitment to go after the multinationsl who are dodgying on tax.