Cafe taken by armed gunmen in central Sydney near the cenotaph, at least a dozen hostages pressed up against the window and ISIS flags been seen flown 😯

Live feed here https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/17174725/yahoo-7-live-sydney/?cmp=ytwit

Sounds like it’s getting very serious with more evacuations and closed air space
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-15/hostages-sydney-cafe-martin-place-police-operation/5967232

Let the wanton speculation commence!

Coincides well with the announcement of more troops to combat IS don’t you think?

Also fits in quite nicely to soften blow of CIA torture report.

Wonder how many other hostage situations there have been in the world over the past fortnight without such intense media focus?

Aw crap. Walked past there on the way home last night.

The chap has said he has “devices” elsewhere, and will detonate them if he doesn’t get to talk to Abbot live on the radio. Opera-house has been evacuated (as a precaution).

Well…. there goes the Sydney “bubble” 🙁

JHJ: more likely to be because there have been charges brought (last night) against some of the people involved in the previous (Sept) raids.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-15/man-arrested-in-suspected-sydney-terror-raid-reports/5967148
and more arrests this morning before this happened.

I saw the tweet about the multiple devices and live chat with abbot on the ABC feed but it’s been removed.

I think STWorld-erist radtothepowerofsik works down in that direction….. hopefully he can give us an update.

Also JHJ suggesting that this is in someway orchestrated by the US or Australian governments is both ridiculous and insensitive.

*awaits JHJ shoehorning Jimmy Saville into the narrative*

Appreciate if it is a wholly spontaneous attack, then my post could be construed as insensitive, however given the history of such deeply disturbing manipulations as:

The babies in incubators testimony following a study by a PR company into emotional engagement of the target audience.

Falsified documents about WMDs

Using 9/11 as justification for wars unrelated to those involved

All of which resulted in wars which hugely profited those who started them in the 1st place, and death tolls of horrific proportions

It would be foolish and insensitive not to have a degree of skepticism.

Also JHJ suggesting that this is in someway orchestrated by the US or Australian governments is both ridiculous and insensitive.

Wellllllll… I thought the previous terror raids in the city might have been somewhat over-egged, perhaps in an effort to push through new terror-legislation, but have been reserving judgement until details were available. However, it seems like there are indeed “highly motivated” extremists in the city after all. I shall write to Mr Abbott and apologize for doubting him.

this place is turning into the wild west! This happened outside my flat a couple of weeks ago:

Surry Hills shoot-out

You don’t live on Foveaux St by any chance do you batfink?

Nope….. Goulburn and Riley. Literally next to the police station.

I’m about 10 minutes walk away down Pitt Street, so close but not in the exclusion zone

I was already in the office when it started, so all I’ve seen is on the live feeds.

The doors have been locked in our building and you can’t get in without a swipe card. People are looking a little worried

Had a quick scan of the article and saw the pic… thought it might’ve been the park by Foveaux/Collins St; been a while, bit over 10 years since I lived in Sydney.

Anyhow, no harm intended, appreciate folk may be concerned about friends and relatives.

Stay vigilant!!

They are going for the soft targets at the moment so all western nations are targets. These fanatics are all prepared to die taking others with them.

Had a quick chat with mrs batfink….. the friend of one of her colleagues might be inside. She goes there for coffee and nobody can reach her. Bloody hell.

Is this Australia’s version of 9/11? 🙁

Not really…. 88 Aussies killed in the Bali bombings, 28 in the Ukrainian/Malaysian airlines incident.

They seem to be evacuating everywhere. Precautionary, or acting on info?

Nothing but live coverage on tv here. Got bushfires over in WA too. Not a great Monday!

Well the BBC are giving away tactical information.

The media are a bunch of numpties aren’t they?

Jesus christ, they are even onto potential racial backlashes already….it’s like they’re egging on a schoolyard fight, asking people what kinds of weapons the police are carrying and asking what the police are doing. They seem to want people to get blown up to boost their ratings.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g37HT4-EtzE[/video]

^^^^^ The BBC’s standard of reporting, no better than Cartman.

Just seen the bomb-squad heading downtown 🙁

I’m amazed they were not there already, they said they have had calls about devices but all negative so far.

It was one of those huge reinforced “containment” thingies that you put a bomb in, shut the door then retire to a safe distance.

ah right….

Well some people have been let out so far. Been a long day down there.

Sounds like they might have legged-it rather than been released 😯

5 people now released/escaped…..

Those is a disgrace. Invade Finland!

Think the cops are making entry now they’ve just chucked a shit load of flashbangs in, couple of hostages coming out…

Yikes… They’ve pulled someone out and they appear to be attempting to revive him/her as the footage shows ambo guys doing CPR.

They weren’t holding back on those flashbangs were they!

I know. Seemed to be chucking them in while their colleagues were breaching which looked odd.

Quite a few on gurneys. I’m guessing they shot him. They’re saying it’s officially over now.

JCL – Member

Those is a disgrace. Invade Finland!

Invade Finland?
More like invade penguin island during the mating season. 😆

chewkw – Member

More like invade penguin island

Hey, Penguin Island is lovely, leave em alone! (It’s just up the road from me…)

http://www.penguinisland.com.au/

They weren’t holding back on those flashbangs were they!

Given the fact half their mates were in there already unless they have some new fancy technology that protects them from the sound and light, I bet that the guys inside won’t be too happy

Jeeze, the Aussies carried that out with extreme ruthlessness didn’t they. No quarter given there, that was a lot of lead. Is it confirmed that it was just the one gunman?

Really hope no one has died.

Id imagine they’re quite well trained in dealing with going in to a building whilst flash bangs go off around their ears.

That went a bit turbo in the end didn’t it – have to assume the terrorist starting attacking the hostages for them to react like that.

Sounded like a full on battle, terrifying.

Looks like Aussie immigration law will get tougher now … boat people … to the island.

Just how nuts will the Australians go now on Immigration? They are not the most accepting as it was.