# Cronulla riots (11 December 2005)

URL: https://allhistories.com/australia/timeline/2005-cronulla-riots
Location: Cronulla, Sydney, New South Wales
Themes: Key Events

On 11 December 2005, a crowd of about 5,000 people gathered at North Cronulla Beach in southern Sydney. As the day went on, many of them, some intoxicated and draped in Australian flags, attacked people they believed to be of Middle Eastern background. Over the following nights there were retaliatory attacks in Cronulla and nearby suburbs, including damage to cars and property and violence against people. The gathering had been organised through text messages and talkback radio after an assault on volunteer lifesavers by a group of young men of Lebanese background on 4 December. It followed years of tension around access to the beach, which was popular with people from Sydney's south-western suburbs, and was fuelled by media coverage and talkback commentary. Some media personalities were later criticised for their role in inflaming tensions. Police introduced emergency powers to lock down beaches and suburbs, and many people were later charged. A review commissioned by NSW Police examined the police response. The riots became a byword for racial tension in modern Australia and prompted debate about multiculturalism, national symbols, media responsibility and the treatment of Arab and Muslim Australians. Community and religious leaders worked to rebuild relations.

## Why it matters
The riots exposed racial tensions in multicultural Sydney and became a reference point in debates about national identity.

Ruler at the Time: [Elizabeth II](https://allhistories.com/australia/rulers/elizabeth-ii)

Prime Minister: John Howard (Liberal)
Governor-General: Michael Jeffery

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 2005 Cronulla riots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Cronulla riots](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Cronulla+riots)