Sydney riots: Police promised tough new powers

Police in Sydney will be given tough new powers to crack down on rioters who have rampaged through the city’s southern beachside suburbs for two nights, it was announced today.

“New South Wales parliament will be recalled for a special emergency sitting on Thursday morning to provide police with extra powers to deal with criminals and thugs who are causing disturbances across our city,” state leader Morris Iemma said.

He spoke after a second night of race riots left seven people injured and 11 in police custody as youths in a convoy of cars rampaged through streets smashing store windows and attacking parked vehicles.

The men involved appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin, indicating that they were taking revenge for a riot on Sunday during which a mob of 5,000 white men, many drunk and wrapped in Australian flags, attacked several people of Middle Eastern appearance near Cronulla beach.

New South Wales police minister Carl Scully said rival groups needed to bring an end to the violence.

“They feel slighted and insulted and believe they’re entitled to respond to the provocation of those drunken yobbos on Sunday,” Scully told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

“(But) they’re not entitled to respond in a violent, criminal manner which is what they’re doing and the police will continue to round them up while they do so.”

Iemma said he would urge MPs to pass laws increasing prison sentences for riot offences from five to 15 years and double the penalty for affray to 10 years.

Opposition MPs have already called for tough new laws and are expected to support the legislation.

“I won’t allow Sydney’s reputation as a tolerant, vibrant international city to be tarnished by these ratbags and criminals who want to engage in the sort of behaviour we’ve seen in the last 48 hours,” Iemma said. “They think they can get away with this, well they will not.”

Iemma said the rioters had “effectively declared war on our society and we won’t be found wanting in our response”.

He said police also needed new powers to stop convoys from forming and driving into communities to carry out acts of retribution.