Australia - Martin Place siege: 2 Hostages killed in Lindt Chocolate shop #1

[Yoda]

Sydney harbour bridge closed in both directions.
https://www.facebook.com/nswincidents

 

[sleepinoz]

https://www.facebook.com/livetrafficnsw/posts/770072669731109?fref=nf

Trains have resumed apparently ??

SYDNEY CBD- STAY AWAY: Trains have resumed operating on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line however services are not stopping at Martin Place due to a police operation.

However, motorists and public transport commuters are still advised to stay away from the Sydney CBD.

Various road closures are in place around the city with police directing traffic.
http://ow.ly/FSoHt

 

[RR0004]

Only a coward would hold a woman as a shield to protect himself.

 

[RR0004]

Pic from your link.

Direct shot...leads me to believe there's another gunman.

 

[emirates1957]

This scares the hell out of me. I have worked in aviation for nearly 37 years. Every day I go to the airport I always brace myself for something like this, either on the ground or in the air. We have standard procedures for hijack events (none of which would end well). A little off topic ...I used to work for Malaysian Airlines in the 80's. Our first visit was to a hangar at Kuala Lumpur Airport where MH653 had been pieced together after being taken down by the JRA. It certainly was a somber moment one of which I will never ever forget. I hope for all this siege ends well.

 

[SCHMAE]

Oh no
I just saw this and came right here. Are all hostages alive that we know of still? lease:

 

[RR0004]

It looks like it was a hostage who indicated 13.

 

[zwiebel]

'I am seeing a lot of people tweeting/asking about the supposed police raids taking place in Lakemba at the same time as the siege. Ray Hadley, a conservative presenter with 2GB, said raids of homes in Lakemba, which has a large Muslim population, were taking place now.

Sources have told my colleague, Michael Safi, there are no raids underway in that suburb. About 20 police are touring the Lakemba mosque as part of a police induction day, which may have been the source of those reports.'

http://www.theguardian.com/australi...stage-situation-inside-martin-place-cafe-live

????

ETA: Sorry, above was a quote, not my opinion.

 

[SCHMAE]

Live feed is getting dark. Is it into Monday evening now, after dark? I am not sure the exact time difference. TIA

 

[zwiebel]

Oh no
I just saw this and came right here. Are all hostages alive that we know of still? lease:

No fatalities reported. Hoping it stays that way.

 

[sleepinoz]

Live feed is getting dark. Is it into Monday evening now, after dark? I am not sure the exact time difference. TIA

No Noon on Monday

 

[RR0004]

This is a difficult situation. It's normal that people wonder how did this happen...and may overreact thinking that others pose a potential threat. Having lived in the NY area post 9/11, I know how emotions, especially fear, can rage. Stay calm everyone. It's important to focus on these poor folks right now.

 

[Snoods]

Oh no
I just saw this and came right here. Are all hostages alive that we know of still? lease:

Yes as far as we know.

 

[sleepinoz]

http://www.news.com.au/national/wha...d-jihadists-mean/story-fncynjr2-1227156323738

THE black and white flag paraded in the window of the cafe at the centre of the Martin Place siege is a jihadist flag used by Muslim extremists.

Known as The Black Standard, or The Black Banner, it is one of the flags flown by the prophet Muhammad but has been used by Muslim extremist organisations since the early 1990s.

Jonathan Bloom, a professor of Islamic Art at Boston College in the US says: “The black banner of Islam as an idea goes back to the 8th century, when the Second Dynasty of Islam came to power with black banners”.

 

[zwiebel]

joyful & triumph-ant @antsharwood · 19 mins 19 minutes ago

Sydney in the age of terror. Just behind me a busker sings "Summertime & the living is easy". Fingers double crossed

 

[jojo87]

Pic from your link.

I'm so sorry I linked the wrong post I edited it above.
Apologies.

 

[SCHMAE]

No Noon on Monday

OK TY , must have been clouds or shadows on the feed I saw. That's good news. It means they have hours of daylight left to sort this .

 

[sleepinoz]

Presser in 15mins

 

[drsleuth]

Man there are some utterly stupid people on social media ( just reading some tweets!! ) :gaah:

 

[zwiebel]

11:56am: The following sites are among those which have been evacuated:

The Channel Seven building at Martin Place
The Opera House
NSW parliamentary executive offices
The State Library
The NSW Supreme Court's criminal courts, and several city legal chambers.

Chifley Square is also reportedly in lockdown. Workers in the MLC building offices are unable to leave.

Some workers are being evacuated to Hyde Park.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/lindt-cho...a-in-martin-place-sydney-20141215-1278cx.html