On December 11, 2005, Cronulla, a suburb of Sydney, was the epicenter of a dark day. What started with 5,000 people attending a well-organized, peaceful rally soon devolved into burning cars and looted shops. This event proved to be a turning point in Australia’s socio-political dynamic. It was animated by anti-Arab racism and incited a national wave of violent attacks that disproportionately targeted people of Arab descent.
An altercation between two local Cronulla lifeguards ignited the protests. The beating of a pair of men who were part of the group served as the last straw that sparked the greater rebellion. That ensuing chaos led to injuries of 26 people and the arrest of 104 protestors. Almost 300 criminal charges have been filed in connection with the violent riots. Video recordings showed these violent mobs chanting openly racist slogans and attacking police officers on duty. More violence erupted after calls to organize “Aussie pride” rallies spread like wildfire on social media.
Sutherland Shire Mayor Jack Boyd distanced the riots from the attitudes of the wider Cronulla community. He explained how so many, including activists today, want to conflate the riots with the views of the community. He described how he had seen some of the absolute worst behavior in the weeks preceding the riots and in the months since. He recalled the chilling police state that summer — and the years and months that filled the summer thereafter.
Against the threat of violence, thousands of attendees marched in a large convoy with young people from across western Sydney in response. Predominantly of Middle Eastern descent, they sparked more rioting in Cronulla and the surrounding suburbs. This latest cycle of violence brought the long-standing issues of systemic racism to the forefront. It had always been there, just under the surface.
Feroz Sattar, a 17-year-old Muslim originally from Sydney’s northern beaches to its southwest. He was forced to grapple with what had happened during the riots and their direct impact on him and his community. Those feelings were compounded by a profound sense of betrayal and loss. It was hard for him to have so many people turn against his home and its thriving surf culture.
“It was a really jarring, competing reality of how I’m perceived among my Australian peers,” said Sattar. “It was really confronting for me personally, and then to also see the impact that it had on the broader community was just really, really disappointed and sad to see that a significant proportion of people just didn’t want us.”
Two decades on, Australia is coming to terms with what took place. Though the riots are behind us, Boyd sees an important need to address the attitudes that were laid bare during this time. He noted that initiatives like Harmony Week and multicultural organizations have pushed their inclusivity efforts further. He admitted that racist fingers continue to linger.
Multicultural campaigner, Peter Doukas, used his speech to identify a troubling pattern in modern Australia. “We’ve witnessed just this year literal neo-Nazis in front of the Australian Parliament,” he said. He pointed to a dangerous backslide in societal norms against racism. This change should ring alarm bells to all those committed to advancing a multicultural Australia.
“I think that the effects of racism and regression in Australia are actually emboldened in recent years,” Doukas added. “It gives us all in the multicultural space cause for concern.”
In response to the troubling legacy of the Cronulla riots, community leaders have initiated programs aimed at bridging divides between different cultural groups. Surf Brothers is an organization that Sattar co-founded to encourage connections between the Muslim community and surf lifesaving organizations. We believe this initiative is a meaningful step toward healing and reconciliation.
Tony Moarbes, another community member involved in efforts to promote inclusivity, shared his experience of reintroducing cultural representation in local events following the riots. As for putting “Lebanese” on that sign, Moarbes still recalls it all as if it happened yesterday. He said it was a key move in restoring bonds between neighbors.
“Honestly 99 percent of it was really overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “I think people are ready for the change.”
