As it happened: Violence erupts in Sydney over anti-Islam film
Updated
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Police stand guard at Sydney's Martin Place as the local Muslim community protests over a movie that insults Islam, September 15, 2012. (Emma Pearce)
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A group of protestors demonstrating against an anti-Islam video in Sydney on Saturday, September 15, 2012. (AAP: Lauren Farrow)
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Police confront protestors demonstrating against an anti-Islam video in Sydney on Saturday, September 15, 2012. (AAP: Marianna Massey)
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Police stand guard over protesters near the US Consulate General in central Sydney on September 15, 2012, as a wave of unrest against a film that mocks Islam spread to Australia, bringing hundreds out to demonstrate. (AFP: Greg Wood)
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A bloodied policeman kneels on the ground after being injured during clashes with Muslims protesting in Sydney, September 15, 2012. The protests were against a controversial film about the Prophet Mohammed. (ABC News: Emma Pollard)
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Protesters chant after finishing a prayer during a demonstration at Sydney's Martin Place against a film that insults the Islamic Prophet Mohammad, September 15, 2012. (Josh Bavas)
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A protester holds a sign that says 'Behead all those who insult the Prophet' at a demonstration in Sydney's Martin Place, September 15, 2012. (Josh Bavas)
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Protesters call for prayer during a demonstration against the film, Innocence of Muslims, which ridicules the Islamic Prophet Mohammad, September 15, 2012. (Josh Bavas)
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Three women protest at Martin Place in Sydney over the film Innocence of Muslims, which ridicules the Islamic Prophet Mohammad, September 15, 2012. (Josh Bavas)
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Riot police arrive at a Sydney protest over the film Innocence of Muslims, which ridicules the Islamic Prophet Mohammad, September 15, 2012. (Josh Bavas)
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Police respond as violence breaks out in Sydney's Hyde Park. Demonstrators are angry over an anti-Islam film. (Twitter: @joshbavas)
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Protesters clash with policemen on a street in Sydney's central business district, September 15, 2012. Anger over anti-Islam video "Innocence of Muslims" spread to Australia on Saturday with protesters taking to the streets of Sydney, surprising shoppers and catching police off guard. (Reuters: Tim Wimborne)
Violence erupted in central Sydney as hundreds of Muslims protested against a controversial film about the Prophet Mohammed.
It is the latest in a series of demonstrations that have killed at least six people in the Middle East. Protestors have also marched through London.
The wave of protests spread to Sydney's CBD yesterday afternoon, beginning outside the United States Consulate and spreading through the city's streets to Hyde Park.
The ABC understands the protest was sparked by a mass text message saying: "We must defend the honour of our prophet, we must act now."
NSW Police Superintendent Mark Walton said the demonstration was unorganised and some protesters "came forearmed to cause damage".
He said up to 150 police officers were called to the protest. Six officers were injured during the afternoon and two were taken to hospital for treatment.
Superintendent Walton said the protesters left the demonstration by 6:00pm.
Here is how the story developed throughout the day.
6:28pm: In related news in the United States, a California man has been escorted to an interview with federal officers probing possible probation violations stemming from the making of the anti-Islam video that triggered violent protests in cities across the world.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman said Nakoula Basseley Nakoula - who is linked to the film's production - voluntarily left his home, accompanied by sheriff's deputies, to meet with the officers in the Cerritos Sheriff's Station.
"He will be interviewed by federal probation officers," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
"He was never put in handcuffs... it was all voluntary."
But he said Mr Nakoula was not in custody.
6:20pm: Here is more of what NSW Police Superintendent Mark Walton told reporters in Sydney a short time ago:
The engagement that police have arrested eight individuals for various offences including affray, assault police dog and throw a missile.
There's been two police vehicles at a minimum that have been damaged when the crowd attempted to move away as a group and contrary to police direction were asked to hold in the park and disperse in an orderly fashion.
Ultimately the group dispersed itself throughout Hyde Park and into the east Sydney area.
Unfortunately six police have been injured during the contact with this group throughout the afternoon, two of which have received treatment in hospital for minor injuries.
I think we have actually acted very professionally and responded very well to what was a completely unannounced and unorganised protest. There was no advice given to police by this group that they intended to protest and, as a result, in a very short amount of time we had a significant amount of police.
I am not sure about who might have been caught in it. But my information suggestions that some of these people came forearmed to cause damage and potentially conflict an assault with police.
There were bottles thrown, there are other implements that were used today by this crowd in their contact with the police.
NSW Police Superintendent Mark Walton
6:15pm: New South Wales Police Minister Mike Gallacher has just spoken to ABC News 24 . Here is some of what he had to say:
Police were prepared for a protest tomorrow, they had gone through the formal reporting process to get approval.
It would appear from the reports we have had, that I have had this afternoon from police, that possibly threw some form of networking, through whether it be Twitter or whatever, there's been an ability to get a large number of people into a crowd and then we saw the consequences of that fairly quickly.
The Intel is that it would appear that they were a number of people there that went there for peaceful protests. But then in amongst them were people that probably weren't there for peaceful protest, they were there for confrontation.
Police only use capsicum spray when they're under threat. They don't take it out and use it otherwise. The footage speaks for itself. People did not want to be in a confrontational action with police. Then they shouldn't have been there at the forefront in front of the police.
I think the police have responded quickly getting a significant number of people there, the good thing is that it has now dispersed.
Now what will happen is police, through their communication, with the community that have participated in this try to identify who are the sensible headed once and start to talk to them in the way that they always do.
They were the ones that were expected to be participating in tomorrow's protest rally, sadly this one has been hijacked by people that are more about confrontation and providing colour and movement. We've seen that some of the - we're seeing some of the angry scenes that were taking place in the CBD.
Today wasn't a lawful protest and there may well be that some people take it upon themselves to again turn up on Sunday in a Martin Place or any other part of the city, then be rest assured the police planning is now under way tactically in relation to that. It's quite a worrying situation.
NSW Police Minister Mike Gallacher
6:00pm: Police have defended their response to demonstrations in Sydney, part of a Muslim protest against a controversial film about the Prophet Mohammed.
In a press conference, Superintendent Mark Walton said eight people were arrested during the "unannounced protest".
Up to 150 police officers attended the incident throughout the day. Six officers were injured, including two who were taken to hospital for treatment.
Two police vehicles were also damaged.
Superintendent Walton said the protesters have now "self-dispersed" throughout the city. Police remain at the scene.
5:50pm: Sydney police are holding a press conference. A spokesman said up to 150 officers attended the protest and six officers were injured. Two have been treated in hospital. Watch live here.
5.41pm: Here's a photo Josh Bavas took of the moment the protest turned violent:
5.15pm: Reporter Josh Bavas has been live-tweeting from the scene.
Muslims have been tweeting him to try and spread the word that not all agree with the actions of the protesters.
"Josh, Please talk about this in your live crosses. Many Muslims are condemning violent actions of those protestors," tweeted @MariamVeiszadeh.
"Those people do not represent me! The violence is far more insulting then the movie itself."
5.12pm: Reporter Josh Bavas has talked to ABC News 24 about the moment the protest turned violent.
"Some people in their cars ... were trapped while the protesters were running past, with police quite close behind them," he said.
"Because the protest spread out so quickly... police were scrambling to get together.
"I heard one man yell out 'shame on you' before the protesters [turned on him]. I don't know if he was injured."
5.10pm: Journalist Jamila Rizvi was shopping at the scene earlier today. She has told ABC News 24 it was much calmer earlier on.
She says the women and children who were present earlier have now gone, and believes a small minority has taken over the protest.
She says it would be a shame if there was a backlash against the Muslim community in the wake of today's protest.
5.00pm: Are you wondering about the film which triggered the protests? Here's some facts:
The film that triggered the unrest
- The film titled Innocence of Muslims mocks the Prophet Mohammed and Islam.
- Touches on themes of paedophilia and homosexuality.
- Features low-budget production values, with actors in false beards in front of stock desert footage.
- Cast members have said they thought it was a fictional epic, and later found their lines had been dubbed over.
- Reportedly written by Nakoula Bassily Nakoula, 55, an Egyptian Copt on conditional release from prison.
- Directed by 65-year-old Alan Roberts.
- Reportedly produced by a US religious group called Media for Christ.
- Promoted by a network of right-wing Coptic and Evangelical Christians with a radical anti-Muslim agenda.
- Among them is Florida pastor Terry Jones, who spoke to The World Today about his involvement.
4.45pm: The Hyde Park protest has taken a violent turn as police scrambled to control angry demonstrators.
Several people were reportedly injured as protesters pulled down barricades and shocked passers-by took cover.
Reporter Josh Bavas has tweeted: "Scenes very ugly. All over streets."
He says police are scrambling towards Oxford Street from Hyde Park.
4.30pm: Before the violence erupted, the ABC's Winsome Denyer told ABC News 24 the situation appeared to be cooling:
4.20pm:The group is made up of Muslim men, women and children of all ages.
One protester was carrying a placard that read "behead those who insult the Prophet".
The group shouted "down, down USA", while another protester yelled: "Our dead are in paradise. Your dead are in hell."
Here, the ABC talks to some of the demonstrators about why they are there:
Earlier in the afternoon, ABC reporter Josh Bavas described heated scenes in Hyde Park.
Hundreds of protesters are arriving here in Hyde Park. They're being met by equally amount of police. I've had someone who is in the crowd interpret what they're yelling and saying, 'Allah is great! There is no god greater than Allah'.
Pepper spray is being used and several protesters have been arrested. Police are passing around bottles of water and even more protesters are arriving as we speak.
One protester was saying, 'Who are we going to get for spraying that gas at us?'
Josh Bavas
Bavas says the protest is linked to a controversial low-budget film, Innocence of Muslims, which denigrates the Islamic Prophet Mohammed and belittles the religion he founded.
The film touches on themes such as paedophilia and homosexuality, while also showing the Prophet sleeping with women, talking about killing children and referring to a donkey as "the first Muslim animal".
"We are sick and tired of everyone mocking our beloved Prophet," protester Houda Dib told AFP.
"They have no right to mock our Prophet. We don't go around mocking anyone's religion."
One speaker called for calm, saying the aim of their protest had been to send a message.
"We are here for the sake of our God," he said.
"The message is clear, you cannot mock (the Prophet)."
ABC reporter Emma Pollard was caught in the earlier Martin Place protest and says police tried to form a line in front of the demonstrators.
She says police used pepper spray on protesters, who were throwing objects and bottles of water at the officers.
"I saw one police officer get dragged out into a clear area and he had lots of blood all over his face," she said.
"I could feel the pepper spray catching in the back of my throat so it was drifting everywhere."
The Ambulance service says paramedics have treated at least one person with head injuries.
The Sydney protests follow a furious wave of anti-American violence across the Middle East and North Africa.
A crowd invaded the US embassy compound in Tunisia, and guards at the US embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, fired warning shots at protesters.
Fresh violence erupted in Yemen and Cairo and demonstrations took place in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Iraq, Israel and the Gaza Strip, Morocco, Syria, Kuwait, Nigeria and Kenya.
At least six protesters died on Friday alone, and Washington deployed US Marines to protect its embassies in Libya and Yemen.
ABC/AFP
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, islam, activism-and-lobbying, sydney-2000, australia
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