We’re going to bring the live blog to a close for now. Here’s a summary of the latest developments:
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Australia’s prime minister Tony Abbott has questioned how the gunman Man Haron Moris was out on bail after he and two of his hostages were killed in a shot out that end the siege. Speaking at press conference Abbot said: “How can somebody who has had such a long, chequered history not be on the appropriate watch list? And how can someone like that be entirely at large in the community?”
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Police have launched an investigation into the siege and how it was handled. It is not yet known if the hostages and Monis were killed by police gunfire or shots fired by Monis. A 24-hour police presence is to be maintained for next three weeks on Sydney’s main streets, monuments, and public transport hubs.
- Tributes have been paid to the victims who were named as barrister Katrina Dawson, 38, and 34-year-old Tori Johnson, who managed the Lindt cafe. The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has compared their “heroism” to the sacrifice of Christ after reports that Johnson had tried to tackle Monis and that Dawson had tried to shield a pregnant hostage.
- Three more hostages received gunshot wounds - all are in a stable condition. A police officer whose face was sprayed from a gunshot is also in a stable condition, he’s been discharged. Two pregnant hostages were checked at hospital.
- Thousands of people have continued to add to the growing floral tributes in Martin Place. Tony Abbott, and his wife, Margie, were among those laying flowers.
- Monis was on bail charged with being an accessory to his ex-wife’s murder. NSW Premier Mike Baird said he was “outraged that this guy was on the street”.
Updated
An anti-gun group has called for a review of Australia’s gun laws in the wake of the siege, Reuters reports.
In 1996 Australia enacted what detractors at the time called draconian restrictions on gun ownership under The Agreement on Firearms act in response to a mass shooting that left 35 people dead in Port Arthur in the island state of Tasmania.
A mandatory national buyback of outlawed guns was included in the legislation championed by then Prime Minister John Howard and resulted in more than 700,000 firearms being turned in.
“The gun laws we were meant to have after the Port Arthur massacre are now watered down quite significantly,” said Samantha Lee, chairwoman of Gun Control Australia (CGA).“In the wake of the siege, GCA is calling on review of gun laws and in particular an audit of state and territory compliance with the 1996 Agreement on Firearms, storage requirements and gun dealer compliance with firearm laws,” Lee said.
A campaigner opposed to stricter gun laws accused the GCA of using the siege in Sydney to score points with legislators.
“They are unashamedly looking to exploit this latest tragedy for their own purposes,” said Robert Borsak, a state parliamentarian and head of the Shooters and Fishers Party.
Police presence stepped up in Sydney
A high visibility operation to ensure round-the-clock police presence on the streets, public places and transport hubs of Sydney for the next three weeks, has been launched following the siege.
Announcing the operation, dubbed ‘Operation Hammerhead’, New South Wales Police assistant commissioner Mick Fuller said it will focus on strong community engagement.
Operation Hammerhead will focus on metropolitan Sydney and primarily involve general duties police. If need be, those officers will be used wherever our operational intelligence dictates.
General duties police, as well as specialist commands, will be deployed from the Police Operation Centre which will remain open 24/7 during the operation.”
Operation Hammerhead will also patrol iconic locations such as the Harbour and its surrounding foreshores as well as sporting fixtures and other large scale public events.
Our aim is to provide and maintain high levels of public safety to ensure all NSW residents are safe and during these testing times they feel safe.
We will use a range of officers and squads during the operation that are available at all times of the day and night.
These include but not limited to General Duties, Police Transport Command, the Dog Squad, Operational Support Group officers, Public Order and Riot Squad Officers, Traffic and Highway Patrol, and Mounted Units.
We want the community of Sydney and for that matter NSW, to go about their day to day business with confidence and comfort in the knowledge they are safe.
NSW, and for that matter, Australia is a safe place, and we want everyone who works, lives or visit NSW to feel safe.”
Details about nine of the 17 hostages caught up in the siege have been published by the Australian news agency AAP. It has these pen portraits, starting with the two victims.
Katrina Dawson
The 38-year-old mother of three died after a shootout erupted when police stormed the Martin Place cafe. She was a barrister at Eight Selborne Chambers and a former star student at Ascham girls school.
Tori Johnson
The 34-year-old Lindt cafe manager and former Terrigal High School student died on the way to hospital. There were reports he tried to wrestle the weapon from the gunman. He was remembered as a dedicated professional who put his staff first.
Marcia Mikhael
The Westpac employee from Sydney’s west had a chilling post appear on her social media account at the height of the hostage crisis.
“The man who is keeping us hostage has asked for small and simple requests and none have been met,” the Facebook post read.
“He is now threatening to start killing us.”
The post was taken down not long after.
The 43-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to her leg and underwent surgery on Tuesday.
Stefan Balafoutis
A barrister at the Tenth Floor Chambers on Phillip Street. He was reportedly one of five people who fled the cafe after 4pm.
Julie Taylor
The corporate law barrister from Eight Selborne was at the Lindt Cafe with her colleague, Katrina Dawson. She appears to have featured in a video sent to news sites from inside the cafe listing the gunman’s demands.
Elly Chen
The Lindt cafe employee made headlines around the world after she was captured fleeing the gunman’s stronghold into the arms of heavily-armed police.
Harriette Denny
A Lindt cafe employee. Her Sunshine Coast family told Fairfax Media the 30-year-old was safe and well but terribly upset she lost her friend and colleague Tori Johnson.
Puspendu Ghosh
Ghosh was working as a project manager at Westpac. He comes from West Bengal, India. His mother, Smriti Kana Ghosh, told the Times of India she was happy and relieved when she heard about the safety of her son.
Vishwakant Reddy
The IT worker reportedly lived in Sydney with his wife, Shilpa. His mother, Sulochana, told Indian media she was “anxiously waiting to speak to him”. The Indian minister for external affairs tweeted on Tuesday that Mr Reddy was safe. “He is undergoing some medical check-ups and will be home safe.”
Updated
Australia’s communications minister Malcolm Turnbull, choked back tears as he urged Australians not to be “corrupted by hatred”, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Speaking after attending the mass for the victims at St Mary’s Cathedral, Turnball said:
I thought today’s service was so beautiful. Because it was all about love. It was about that love, that love of God ... the loving example of Jesus that should inspire us all not to be corrupted by hatred and violence, and to remain united as Australians, now and forever.
Thousands of people have continued to add to the growing floral tributes in Martin Place, according to reports from Sydney.
As night falls, the queue of ppl wanting to lay flowers now extends about a block. #Sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/Yw8OVGLuSO
— Jeremy Fernandez (@JezNews) December 16, 2014
UPDATE: The latest footage of the incredible flower shrine at #MartinPlace after the tragic #SydneySiege. #9News pic.twitter.com/l5ejUzEvAv
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 16, 2014
This morning a small collection of bouquets, tonight a mass of colour. #martinplace #sydneyseige @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/wUbowUrSvK
— Lizzie Pearl (@lizziepearl) December 16, 2014
Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak has become the latest world leader to offer condolences and an expression of support for Australia.
We stand in solidarity with all Australians. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the #SydneySiege yesterday.
— Mohd Najib Tun Razak (@NajibRazak) December 16, 2014
The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has compared the “heroism” of the victims to the sacrifice of Christ.
In his homily to victims at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, the archbishop said:
Reports have emerged this morning of the heroism of the male victim of the siege. Apparently seeing an opportunity, Tori grabbed the gun. Tragically it went off killing him, but it triggered the response of the police and eventual freedom for most of the hostages. Reports have also emerged that Katrina Dawson was shielding her pregnant friend from gunfire. These heroes were willing to lay down their lives so others might live, imitating the sacrifice of Christ who said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for each other. Now spontaneous tributes are appearing in Martin Place and on the internet. Leaders of all religious, political and ethnic backgrounds are calling for calm, for prayer, for support for each other. Services are being offered for the victims, their families and friends. The darkness need not overcome the light.
Monis would have already been in prison if government’s changes to the bail system were in place, according to New South Wales attorney general Brad Hazzard.
ABC News quoted Hazzard saying:
This government changed the Bail Act to ensure greater safety for our community.
It was changed to ensure that offenders involved in serious crime will not get bail. That’s our intent.
This offender was granted bail under a previous legislation, in fact under two previous bail acts.
Updated
Here’s a roundup of the Guardian’s latest coverage of the siege and its aftermath:
News
- The inside story of what happened in the cafe
- Profile of Man Haron Monis and how he was still on streets?
- Magistrates gave gunman bail because they thought he wasn’t a risk
- Islamic leaders optimistic that there won’t be retaliatory attacks
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Victims named
Comment
- David Marr on how the siege will be unfairly used to justify new anti-terror laws
- Richard Ackland asks why Monis wasn’t picked up earlier
- Paul Daley on how it could have been predicted but not prevented
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Was Monis a terrorist? asks Anne Aly
Analysis
Gallery
Newspaper front pages around the world
Video
Updated
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert has expressed sympathy for the families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson.
Unsere Gedanken sind bei den Opfern der Geiselnahme und ihren Familien. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. #SydneyStrong
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher) December 16, 2014
More photographs of the gunman at a protest about terrorist raids in September have been unearthed by ABC’s Adam Harvey. He points out that Monis was pictured beside a banner stating that raids terrorised women and children.
Man Haron Monis at Lakemba protest in September, beside sign decrying the terrorising of women and children. pic.twitter.com/kH3qFMUn5c
— Adam Harvey (@adharves) December 16, 2014
Here's gunman Man Haron Monis (in white robe) at anti terror raid protest in September #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/GUOWp3IX03
— Adam Harvey (@adharves) December 16, 2014
The siege should not be used to justify draconian new anti-terrorism laws, argues David Marr.
Old laws allowed police to bug his phones, intercept his emails and place him under surveillance. They didn’t even need a warrant to access his metadata and track down everywhere Monis had been and everyone he was talking to year after year.
They didn’t need fresh laws threatening journalists with 10 years’ jail for revealing Asio’s newfangled “special” operations. Look at the superb cooperation the press displayed during the siege: forgoing scoop after scoop to follow the police strategy of denying Monis the oxygen of publicity ...
This is not a time for blanket new anti-terrorism laws. More facts may yet emerge, but Monis seems not to have been part of any terrorist operation. He wasn’t under orders. The horrors in the Lindt cafe seem to owe as much to Hollywood as terrorist manuals. All we know for certain is that Monis was a terrorist in his own crazy imagination.
Read the rest of the article here.
Legal commentator Richard Ackland says there are series of questions about why Man Haron Monis was granted bail three times in the past 12 months. But he argues the answer is not greater police powers.
This man was known to be threateningly unstable, so we are entitled to ask why a firmer grip wasn’t applied to him, given the lavish powers at the disposal of counter-terrorism agencies.
The point about security people is that they are forever asking for bigger and better powers and this is granted by politicians anxious for insurance policies against nothing dreadful happening on their patch.
Read the article in full here.
Updated
The Mayor Sydney, Clover Moore has defended the police’s handling of the siege and praised the bravery of the officers involved. Speaking to Sky News she said:
I think the police acted incredibly bravely ... they must have had a terrifying time too. The whole incident was managed calmly and professionally. And it was only when a shot was fired, and that’s when we think Tori Johnson might have been shot, that the police moved in ... We think our police are very brave and we have a lot of respect and appreciation for them.
So, here’s the state-of play 16 hours after the siege on the Lindt cafe ended with the deaths of Katrina Dawson, Tori Johnson, and instigator Man Haron Monis.
What we know so far:
- Two hostages, Lindt Cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, and Sydney barrister Katrina Dawson, 38, were killed in the final minutes of the siege, along with Monis himself.
- Three more hostages received gunshot wounds - all are in a stable condition. A police officer whose face was sprayed from a gunshot is also in a stable condition, he’s been discharged. Two pregnant hostages were checked at hospital.
- Monis was known to Australian Federal Police and the ASIO, but he wasn’t on a terrorism watch list.
- He was on bail charged with being an accessory to his ex-wife’s murder. NSW Premier Mike Baird said he was “outraged that this guy was on the street”.
- Prime Minister Tony Abbott visited Martin Place to pay his respects on Tuesday afternoon. The footpath around Martin Place Station is carpeted with flowers.
- Several hostages told reporter Ben Doherty they thought they were going to die in the cafe.
I’m handing over to Matthew Weaver, who’ll keep you informed into the evening.
My colleague Ben Doherty has pieced together the chain of events inside the Lindt Chocolate Cafe. He reports that Man Haron Monis used cafe staff to “get his message out” and control other hostages.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had this to say about Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s performance.
Had a telephone conversation with PM @TonyAbbottMHR on the hostage crisis in Sydney.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2014
Appreciated PM @TonyAbbottMHR's leadership that led to resolving of the crisis & release of the hostages, which included 2 Indians.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2014
NSW Premier Mike Baird said he was “outraged” that Man Haron Monis was able to carry out his plan.
We’re all outraged that this guy was on the street. We are. And we need to understand why he was, and we also need to understand why he wasn’t picked up.
The community has every right to feel upset. I’m incredibly upset, I’m outraged.
Abbott said Monis had been “well known” to ASIO and AFP, and was known to NSW Police.
But I don’t believe that he was on a terror watch list at this time.
He said Australia’s terror alert level would not bumped up from “high” to “extreme”.
Updated
As Tony Abbott wraps up his press conference, I’ll be handing the good ship of the Sydney siege live blog over to my colleague Calla Wahlquist.
Tony Abbott is holding a press conference with Mike Baird, the premier of NSW.
Abbott says the Sydney hostage siege has “echoed around the world,” calling it an “appalling and ugly incident” and lamenting the loss of life.
“These were decent, good people going about their ordinary lives - it’s about as an innocent thing anyone can do, to grab a coffee before work,” the prime minister said.
Man Haron Monis was a “deeply disturbed individual” who sought to associate himself with the “Isil death cult”, Abbot said. He then thanks the police and praises the “innate goodness and decency which is a mark of the Australian character.”
Baird joins with Abbott in praising the police and ordinary Sydneysiders, predicting that the community will emerge stronger from the experience.
Abbott then answered a question about why Monis was out on bail.
He said:
If I can be candid with you, that is the question that we were asking ourselves at the national security committee of the cabinet today
How can somebody who has had such a long, chequered history not be on the appropriate watch list? And how can someone like that be entirely at large in the community?
Abbott said those questions would be looked at by government, but said putting Monis on a watch list might not have prevented yesterday’s incident.
Even if this individual, this sick and disturbed individual, had been front and centre on our watch list, even if this individual had been monitored 24-hours a day, it’s quite likely, certainly possible, that this incident could have taken place.
Because the level of control that would be necessary to prevent people from going about their daily life would be very high indeed. That said, we’re always looking at what can be done better.
Abbott finished off by branding Monis as “consistently weird”.
Updated
Earlier today, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and police commissioner Ian Stewart gave a press conference about events in Sydney.
Newman said there was nothing to suggest a similar incident was being planned in Queensland.
As I said yesterday, intelligence is the key to doing the very best that we can to protect Queenslanders.
We have no information, no information whatsoever, to indicate that there is any such act being contemplated in this state.
Stewart said there would be more police at large public events, including Australia’s test match against India in Brisbane on Wednesday, to “reassure the public”.
Bill Shorten, the opposition leader, has just laid a floral tribute at Martin Place, following Tony Abbott.
Their own tributes join those of many members of the public.
Less happy news from Canberra, where a woman wearing a headscarf was harassed by a passing motorist today, according to a local Twitterer.
Earlier today, Australian Islamic representatives told Guardian Australia they were hopeful that Muslims would not be subjected to physical and verbal attacks as a result of the Sydney hostage siege.
Kuranda Seyit from the Forum on Islamic Relations said:
The repercussions will be long lasting and it will be a hard climb back from this for the Islamic community. There is worry in the community, especially among women who are conspicuous in the way they dress.
But I’ve been very heartened by the reaction of the community. The broader Australian community has come out in solidarity with the online support
Seyit was referencing the #illridewithyou initiative, which has been shared more than 100,000 times on Twitter and Facebook.
ACT Policing have addressed the media about the package found at Dfat today. It’s been declared not suspicious.
BREAKING: Package found at DFAT deemed non-suspicious. More info to come #DFATevac
— ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) December 16, 2014
Daniel Hurst, our Canberra reporter, was at a press conference held by Donna Hofmeier, station sergeant at ACT Policing.
Hofmeier said an unattended backpack was seen in the Dfat canteeen at around 1.45pm today. The department was evacuated as per “standard procedures.”
The backpack was deemed to be safe, with the worst wound apparently dealt to its owner’s pride, with Hofmeier saying they were “extremely embarrassed” by the incident.
Asked if staff are a little more jittery today following the events in Sydney, Hofmeier said: “Of course they would be. There’s obviously concern given what has happened recently in the past 24 hours.”
The evacuation and investigation procedures worked well and will not be reviewed, she added.
Updated
One of the topics that is causing furrowed brows in the wake of the Sydney hostage siege is NSW’s bail regime. Man Haron Monis, the Martin Place gunman, was on bail when he entered the Lindt cafe yesterday and took 17 people hostage.
According to the NSW government, Monis wouldn’t have been able to commit the act under revised bail laws set to come into force in January.
The new laws mean that a person charged with being an accessory to murder would be forced to show cause as to why they should be granted bail. Monis was on bail after being charged as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Despite this, Brad Hazzard, the NSW attorney-general, has indicated that the current system should’ve worked better than it did. Hazzard told reporters:
We are asking state agencies and federal agencies to look very closely at how this offender slipped through the cracks.
How did this offender not come to the attention of state and federal agencies for more urgent action.
A little earlier, NSW police deputy commissioner Catherine Burn outlined the investigation into the three deaths (Monis plus two hostages) that occurred.
Back in Canberra, journalists are being corralled to the south-west corner of York Park, about 200m metres from the Dfat building.
The building was evacuated and an exclusion zone put in place after a “suspicious package” was discovered in the canteen, which is open to the public, at 1.46pm.
Exclusion zone around DFAT. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/n4xwQbr8nA
— ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) December 16, 2014
Hazmat and bomb squad teams have arrived at the department, but police say that’s just standard procedure.
This is a standard response for a suspicious package. Police experts on the scene. Updates to follow #DFATevac
— ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) December 16, 2014
Updated
As Tony Abbott pays his respects to victims and the police, here are a couple of other tributes.
The events that have happened in my hometown - Sydney, Australia. Both shocking and tragic. Prayers for all.
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) December 16, 2014
We stand steadfast with our friends & neighbors in this remarkable city in the wake of these tragic events http://t.co/z9g6q1t2Rd #USwithAus
— US Consulate Sydney (@USConGenSydney) December 16, 2014
The heart of Sydney is beginning to beat with traffic again. From AAP:
Martin Place remains closed after the Lindt cafe siege ended with three dead, but surrounding streets are beginning buzz again with traffic.
Elizabeth Street has reopened in the Sydney CBD in both directions. An exclusion zone continues to operate around Martin Place.
Thousands of Sydneysiders have been making their way nearby to a makeshift shrine to honour those who lost their lives in the siege.
Phillip Street remains closed in both directions between King Street and Hunter Street and King Street is also still closed in both directions between Elizabeth Street and Phillip Street.
For much of Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday, Martin Place was eerily calm.
People who work in this zone have been asked to work from home but everyone else is being encouraged to go about their business as normal.
Martin Place train station remains closed, but bus services are all returning to regular routes now that Elizabeth Street has reopened.
NSW Parliament has now reopened to the public, with access once again possible via Macquarie Street.
Tony and Margie Abbott have laid flowers at Martin Place, amid understandably heavy security, according to our own Emily Wilson, who is on the scene.
Tony Abbott and Margie Abbott place flowers in Martin Place @SBSNews #SydneySeige pic.twitter.com/dbTShDjxOy
— Manny Tsigas (@mantsig) December 16, 2014
Tony Abbott set to arrive at Martin Place
With half an eye still on the unfolding situation in Canberra, it’s worth noting that Martin Place, scene of the Lindt cafe siege, will shortly be getting a prime ministerial visit.
We understand Tony Abbott departed Canberra at around 2pm to lay a floral tribute to add to the swathe of garlands that have amassed in Martin Place in memory of the two hostages who lost their lives.
Abbott is then expected to tour the police operations centre to thank police involved in the siege and to receive further briefings from Mike Baird, the NSW premier, and Andrew Scipione, the NSW police commissioner.
Waiting for Abbott I'm guessing #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/Ru7tkOKQkk
— Emily Wilson (@emilyhwilson) December 16, 2014
Updated
Our Canberra reporter Daniel Hurst is on the scene at Dfat now, where hundreds of staff are streaming out of the department. A suspicious package has been discovered in the Dfat canteen.
Evacuation outside DFAT in Canberra. Police Traffic block along State Circle. "We don't know anything," says a warden pic.twitter.com/aoe3we2knU
— Daniel Hurst (@danielhurstbne) December 16, 2014
The Australian Federal Police bomb squad are at the scene at Dfat in Canberra, responding to a “supicious package.”
This from ACT Policing:
ACT Policing is investigating a suspicious package located in the canteen area of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Barton this afternoon (Tuesday, December 16).
About 1.45pm, ACT Policing received the report of the suspicious package at DFAT on John McEwen Crescent.
ACT Policing provided a coordinated response and cordoned the area as a standard safety precaution.
Evacuations are underway at DFAT and road closures implemented. Members of the AFP Bomb Response Team are in attendance.
Department of foreign affairs evacuated
Over in Canberra, the department of foreign affairs, or Dfat, is currently being evacuated for reasons as yet unconfirmed.
roads blocked and evacuations underway at dept of foreign affairs in canberra #auspol
— Lenore Taylor (@lenoretaylor) December 16, 2014
Road blocked near DFAT in Canberra. View from my balcony pic.twitter.com/EAIWvBnP5p
— Bevan Shields (@bevanshields85) December 16, 2014
In the same spirit of that wonderful blogging stint by Bridie Jabour, we will continue to bring you the facts as they emerge from the aftermath of the Sydney hostage siege.
There is now a veritable sea of floral tributes at Martin Place, with nearby florists emptied of their wares.
Lindt Australia chief executive Steve Loane released a statement about cafe manager Tori Johnson on the Lindt Chocolate Cafe Australia Facebook page, saying his death was “absolutely tragic”.
Tori had been with us at Lindt for just over two years and he was a great ambassador for our company and the store that he managed, which he cared about passionately.
He was a dedicated professional who always built a great rapport with his customers and was much loved by the Lindt team.
Sloane said Lindt would provide ongoing support to Johnson’s family.
We also wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of Katrina Dawson, another tragic loss.”
Updated
I am handing the reins of the liveblog over to my very capable colleague, Oliver Milman, he will guide you through the next few hours for any further developments post-Sydney siege.
Lindt Australia chief executive Steve Loane has released a statement about the Martin Place cafe manager who died during the siege, Tori Johnson.
Loane says Johnson worked at the store for two years and cared about his job “passionately”.
He was a dedicated professional who always built a great rapport with his customers and was much loved by the Lindt team. By nature he was a perfectionist and he had a genuine passion for the hospitality industry and people.
He was a really important part of our management team in Australia and his loss is absolutely tragic. Our thoughts are with his family and we will do all that we can to provide ongoing support and help for them during this very difficult time.
Loane also expressed condolences for the family of barrister, Katrina Dawson, who also died in the siege.
Detectives raided the home of Man Haron Monis’s partner this morning in Sydney’s southwest, News Corp Australia is reporting:
A group of detectives broke down the side gate of Man Haron Monis’s girlfriend’s Belmore home before carrying out a search of the house this morning.
A mixture of plain-clothes and suited detectives as well as a police inspector, 13 in total, entered Amirah Droudis’s York St home about 11.20am.
The group dispersed in the front yard with some moving through the house’s side entrances as detectives banged loudly on the front door shouting “police”. A family member answered the door and let them in.
Police told waiting media “we’re going in, stand back” before the single-storey brick cottage was raided.
Raised voices were heard coming from inside the home after detectives moved in as three more of them waited outside on the street.
Updated
This is the line for the florist near Martin Place where people are queueing to buy flowers to set down near the Lindt cafe where two hostage were fatally shot during the 16 hour siege. Greens staffer Peter Stahel tweeted this shot:
Queue for florist near #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/wDsFWqjvHV
— Peter Stahel (@peterstahel) December 16, 2014
The Guardian’s Paul Daley has surveyed Australia almost 12 hours post-siege and has given the media coverage a bit of a kick. I am sure it is something we will be surveying and thinking about for a while yet:
The frequently naïve chatter of social media and the white noise of rolling, 24-hour news coverage – of journalists who know nothing live crossing to those who know little more, in an endless barrage of speculation – brought new dimensions to inanity, irresponsibility and perhaps insensitivity.
A traumatised employee of the Lindt cafe, who narrowly escaped becoming a hostage with her work colleagues, was asked on air, “How do you feel ... knowing that could be you?” Who is genuinely served by such an interview?
Updated
A producer for the ABC also warned against Man Haron Monis five years ago. Rachael Kohn, who had been targeted by Monis, asked why the Muslim community was not doing more to condemn Monis in a piece for ABC online.
Islam, they say, is not about the violent jihad which terrorists espouse, it is about peace. Yet in Australia, the Muslim community missed an opportunity to expose, denounce and shut down the antics of a religious extremist, who for at least the past two years has been using the internet, CDs and other means justifying violent jihad.
The trouble is that Sheik Haron, as he calls himself, can seem a bit too loony to take seriously, but this is a mistake. The self-styled mufti is no shrinking violet when it comes to promoting hatred of the West and justifying violence in the name of Allah. Nor is he lacking funds to produce his elaborate propaganda.
The Shia Muslim community asked the Australian federal police to investigate the gunman Man Haron Monis in 2008 when he was claiming to be a ayatollah, according to a news report from the Australian at the time:
FEDERAL agents have been urged by the nation’s senior Shia leader, Kamal Mousselmani, to investigate an Iranian man purporting to be a prominent Islamic cleric.
Sheik Mousselmani told The Australian yesterday the mystery cleric – who has been identified as Ayatollah Manteghi Boroujerdi on his website after appearing under the name Sheik Haron – was not a genuine Shia spiritual leader.
He said there were no ayatollahs – supreme Shia scholars – in Australia and none of his fellow spiritual leaders knew who Ayatollah Boroujerdi or Sheik Haron was.
“We don’t know him and we have got nothing to do with him,” Sheik Mousselmani said. “The federal police should investigate who he is. It should be their responsibility.”
Updated
The bodies of the three people killed during the siege at Lindt cafe in Martin Place will be examined at the Glebe mortuary by a forensic pathologist who will provide a report to the state coroner concerning the case and how the three died.
The NSW state coroner released a statement saying an inquest is mandatory under the Coroner’s Act as the deaths occurred in the course of a police operation.
The state coroner will conduct an inquest as soon as is reasonably practicable. At this early stage the state coroner is not in a position to identify the issues that be considered at the inquest.
Updated
Family of siege victim remember "amazing life partner, son and brother"
Tori Johnson’s family have released a statement through Channel Nine and 2GB journalist Ben Fordham, thanking police and asking the media to respect their privacy.
The statement in full:
We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori, gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for.
We feel heartfelt sorrow for the family of Katrina Dawson.
We’d like to thank not only our friends and loved ones for their support, but the people of Sydney; Australia and those around the world for reaching out with their thoughts and prayers.
Our deepest gratitude to the NSW police, armed forces and paramedics for their tireless efforts.
We ask that the media respects our privacy in this difficult time.
Let us all pray for peace on earth.
Updated
Two pregnant women, three with gunshot wounds among injured - what we know
Police have released more details of those wounded during the siege at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place. So far today we have learnt:
- Three people, two hostages and the gunman Man Haron Monis, were killed during the siege. The two hostages have been named as barrister, Katrina Dawson, 38, and Lindt cafe manager, Tori Johnson, 34.
- Six people were taken to hospital including three women who were shot in the foot, leg and shoulder respectively and two pregnant women who were taken to hospital for a general health assessment. A police officer was also injured.
- Police have launched an investigation into the siege and how it was handled. It is not yet known if the hostages and Monis were killed by police gunfire or shots fired by Monis.
- There were 17 people taken hostage, according to police.
- Prime minister Tony Abbott has said the gunman “sought to cloak his actions with the symbolism of the Isil death cult”
- NSW police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, says police still do not know the motivations behind the attack and deputy commissioner, Catherine Burn, says she has not received reports a hostage grappled with the gunman, as some media outlets are reporting.
- Flags at New South Wales and Commonwealth government buildings are being flown at half mast.
Families of hostages who escaped speak out
The daughter of one of the hostages, who escaped unscathed, said; “we don’t blame Muslims or other religions”, my colleague Melissa Davey reports:
We only blame the gunman. So I don’t understand why everyone else is blaming Muslims?
In a statement posted to her Twitter account, the daughter also described the #IllRideWithYou movement as “amazing”.
And as for the people who are saying stuff about the six hostages who escaped and caused the gunshots to go off, if you were in there and he turned away or was falling asleep you would try and escape.
She thanked NSW police for rescuing her mother, saying if they had not gone in when they did more people would have died.
Our family’s are very shaken up today and we are here for the other families. We all went through this together.
The Sunshine Coast father of one of the hostages, Robert Denny, said he was relieved his daughter Harriette was safe but that he would not be celebrating.
...there are two families whose loved ones have not survived. Harriette has lost a valued friend and work colleague and our hearts go out to his family and also to the family of the lady who lost her life.”
The message to the public posted on his Facebook wall also thanked those who had sent kind messages to the family.
Updated
More details on those injured in the siege have been released by New South Wales police:
- A 52-year-old woman was shot in the foot and is in a stable condition.
- A 43-year-old woman was shot in the leg and is in a stable condition.
- A 39-year-old man suffered a minor facial injury due to a gunshot. He has been treated at hospital and discharged.
- A 35-year-old pregnant woman was assessed for health and welfare purposes. She is in a stable condition.
- A 30-year-old pregnant woman was assessed for health and welfare purposes. She is also in a stable condition.
- A 75 year-old woman was shot in the shoulder. She is in a stable condition.
The NSW deputy police commissioner Catherine Burn says police do not know what the gunman’s motivations were.
Question: What about these persistent reports that one of the hostages grappled with the gunman?
I have not received that information and I would definitely not speculate. We have not even had an opportunity to properly and thoroughly gain that information from the people who were in there. Every single bit of information will be gathered over the next period of time but it is difficult at the moment because we are dealing with people who are understandably traumatised about what has happened and it will take us time to piece together what has occurred.
Question: Will the investigation review include a decision by a court to grant him [Man Haron Monis] bail when he had been charged with extremely serious offences?
I can confirm he was on bail. I won’t be drawn into a discussion on that but he was known to police and he was on bail. In terms of of that matter, his movements will form a part of the critical investigation because it will be important that we know and understand what was going on with him.
Question: Can you now tell us what demands he was making?
Those demands have been put out via social media. He was making demands in relation to some particular matters but we still haven’t confirmed the exact motivation behind what he was saying. He has clearly made some statements. He was well-known to us. This is a man who had serious history of criminal offences and a history of violence. This was a man that we do believe had some extremist views and we also believe that he was unstable. We will clearly have a look at all the things that we can find out about him so that we can determine what might have triggered anything.
Updated
The deputy police commissioner Catherine Burn says police will not be commenting on the reports surrounding the siege as it is the subject of a police investigation.
She will not comment on reports Lindt cafe manager, Tori Johnson, was trying to wrestle the gun off the gunman when he was fatally wounded. She will not say whether the hostages who fled the siege were released or escaped of their own volition and she will certainly not be saying if the wounded were shot by police or the gunman in the confrontation.
That investigation will take place over the next weeks and possibly months as it uncovers and goes through what happened in the last 24 hours. It is extremely important that I do not say a great deal about the events of the last 24 hours as I do not want to jeopardise that independent investigation or what may need to be determined by the coroner at a future date.
Burn says of the six injured in the siege, three were women who are being treated for gunshot wounds.
Updated
The Australian governor-general, Peter Cosgrove, has laid flowers at Martin Place where the siege took place, the Daily Telegraph’s Alicia Wood reports.
Governor General peter cosgrove pays his respects for #sydneysiege victims pic.twitter.com/S3CSqrUPqq
— Alicia Wood (@alicia_wood) December 15, 2014
Deeply moving overflow of support for siege victims & survivors from the people of Sydney. This is who we are. pic.twitter.com/PRLLoYudKP
— Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) December 15, 2014
Updated
One block down from the Lindt Cafe, hundreds of flowers have been laid down the centre of Martin Place, as a mark of respect for the victims of a siege that ended in the early hours of this morning, my colleague Monica Tan reports:
There is a sombre and still feeling in the air, as people stand around in silence. Every few seconds someone new comes, and lays down their flowers: white lilies, pale, yellow roses, gerberas and chrysanthemums by the bunch.
One group of five adult students and their teacher, John Gionis, approach together and pay tribute. Gionis later tells me they were in class just two minutes walk away when they heard the news, and they’ve come here because they wanted to “be love”.
“We want to send love to the people who need it now, the hostages and their family. These were people who were just getting a cup of coffee or on their way to work.”
Gionis said that in coming today they have “made love a verb, not just a feeling”.
Another elderly woman who wished to remain unnamed, dabbed away tears as she lay down her flowers. She tells me she was on her way to volunteer at Sydney Hospital, but stopped by to show support for all the victims and the families. “Let’s hope we don’t have to do this again,” she adds.
The area directly around the scene of the crime remains blocked off by police.
Elsewhere the streets of Sydney’s CBD feel relatively normal, although slightly quieter than an ordinary Tuesday morning. People are shopping or on their way to work and the only hint of last night’s siege is an unusual number of police and emergency services.
Updated
New York Police Department counter-terrorism bureau is sending officers to Sydney following the siege.
NYPD counter terrorism bureau sending officers from Singapore to Sydney to work with Oz police. Manhattan security was also increased.
— Lisa Millar (@LisaMillar) December 15, 2014
Updated
People are being told to look after their mental health and keep an eye on their children in the wake of Sydney cafe siege.
NSW police have released a lengthy statement urging people to look after themselves:
Many people will have found the events at Martin Place this week distressing or emotionally challenging. People can react in a variety of ways to these experiences.
Many people may experience sadness, sleep disturbance, fear or anxiety. It is important to understand that many competent, healthy, strong people will have similar feelings, or responses. The response may be experienced immediately or sometimes much later.
Having distressing thoughts and feelings after such events is normal and not a sign of personal weakness. However, when these responses persist or significantly impact on your ability to return to your usual activities it may be necessary to seek additional supports.
In particular, children absorb the tension, uncertainty, confusion and fear around them following traumatic events. Try to create a sense of calm. Reassure children that they are safe and that there is someone there to take care of them.
People are being encouraged to talk it over with others and if issues persist to talk to a GP or health care provider.
In NSW you can contact your local mental health service via the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.
Further information and resources are available here.
For specific information on how to support children in response to this event, please see the resource prepared by the Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network.
Updated
Photos of the two hostages fatally shot during the siege at Lindt cafe have been released. Barrister, Katrina Dawson, 38, and Lindt cafe manager, Tori Johnson, were pronounced dead this morning at hospital after a 17 hour siege where they were held hostage by Man Haron Monis.
Police stormed the cafe after shots were heard in the cafe and Dawson, Johnson and Monis died in the confrontation.
More on the second victim of the Sydney siege to be named, Tori Johnson, from my colleague Calla Wahlquist:
Lindt Chocolate Cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, had worked at the Martin Place cafe since 2012.
His LinkedIn profile shows he moved back to Australia in 2004 after a three-year stint overseas, working at hotels in the United States and the Maldives.
He studied hospitality business management at Washington State University in 2002 and 2003, and held a diploma of hotel management.
Here is prime minister Tony Abbott saying it will take time to know the motive of gunman Man Haron Monis in the Sydney cafe siege.
He had a long history of violent crime, infatuation with extremism and mental instability.
One of the victims of the siege, Katrina Dawson, has been remembered as one of Sydney’s best and brightest barristers by the New South Wales bar association.
The president, Jane Needham SC, has released a statement informing the association of her death with a “heavy heart and deep sorrow”.
Katrina was one of our best and brightest barristers who will be greatly missed by her colleagues and friends at the NSW Bar. She was a devoted mother of three children, and a valued member of her floor and of our bar community. Our thoughts are with her family at this time, including her brother, Sandy Dawson of Banco Chambers.
Updated
The office of Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein al-Ansari, Australia’s most senior Shia cleric, has released a statement:
We pray deeply and wholeheartedly for the innocent civilian hostages in Sydney for their immediate and safe release. We, similarly, ask all people to join us in this prayer.
This crisis reminds us that we all, from all faiths and backgrounds, should unite as Australians to oppose such radicalism and build a peaceful and harmonious society.
Updated
Second fatally shot hostage victim named
The man shot in the Sydney siege was Lindt Cafe manager, Tori Johnson, ABC is reporting.
He was 34 years old.
Flags at commonwealth government buildings will also be flown at half mast, along with flags at New South Wales government buildings, prime minister Tony Abbott has announced.
I have instructed that the Australian National Flag be flown at half-mast today at all Commonwealth Government buildings as a mark of respect and mourning for the innocent victims involved in the Martin Place siege.
Parliament House flag has been lowered to half mast #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/0QPC0AAsmK
— Kerrin Binnie (@kerrinbinnie) December 15, 2014
Updated
More one of the fatally shot hostages, who has been named as Katrina Dawson.
She was a barrister who practised in Eight Selborne chambers not far from the Lindt cafe.
Working in commercial law, her areas of practice were banking and insolvency, bankruptcy, commercial competition and consumer law, corporations law, equity and property.
She had three children.
Updated
Flags on all NSW government buildings will fly at half-mast today to honour those who lost their lives in the siege at the Lindt cafe in Sydney’s CBD, NSW premier Mike Baird has announced.
The premier is also inviting people who wish to lay a floral tribute to the victims to do so at Martin Place. Condolence books will also be provided later today near the Martin Place water fountain, facing Pitt Street.
Today the people of NSW and Australia have the heaviest of hearts and we are taking steps to allow the community to share our collective grief.
A nation in mourning. Australian flags fly at half mast atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in wake of the #sydneysiege. pic.twitter.com/hvjRWoc2oz
— Brian Peel (@Brian_Peel) December 15, 2014
Updated
Fatally shot hostage named
One of the hostages killed during the Sydney siege has been named as Katrina Dawson, 38, the Australian Associated Press has confirmed.
Dawson was a mother of three and worked in the CBD.
Updated
People are beginning to lay flowers near Lindt cafe at Martin Place this morning. Below are some images from the area, which is still cordoned off from the public with an exclusion zone in place around the cafe.
Mother and her young daughter Mona from Belgium laid flowers at Martin Place. "It's important for her to know." pic.twitter.com/qCGc6jIlgc
— Rick Morton (@SquigglyRick) December 15, 2014
Beautiful tributes for #sydneysiege victims begin to flow in. More on the hostages here: http://t.co/sIiJkrg0mF pic.twitter.com/AgJAl3got8
— Susannah Guthrie (@susguthrie) December 15, 2014
Updated
The Sydney Morning Herald’s political and international editor, Peter Hartcher, has criticised the political and media reaction to the siege as it unfolded yesterday:
The prime minister led in shaping our responses. He called a press conference but had no information to offer on the incident except that he had held a meeting to discuss it. He took only one question, to explain that he had no details but that the NSW police did.
“We don’t yet know the motivation of the perpetrator,” he said, then freely speculated that he was politically motivated. It was “very disturbing”.
And if the family and friends of the hostages in the café were not already worried enough, Abbott announced that “I can think of almost nothing more distressing, more terrifying, than to be caught up in such a situation.”
A stampede of politicians, State and federal, took to the airwaves to tell us how to feel. The incident was “horrifying” said Bill Shorten. Attempting a Churchillian gravitas, the opposition leader declared that “Australians are shocked, but won’t be shaken.”
But it was the State premiers who most clearly illustrated the paradox that governed political reaction: The further from the incident, the greater the distress.
Victoria’s Daniel Andrews declared that it was a “terrifying incident”. He gravely assured Victorians that the gunman in Martin Place posed no known threat to the people of Victoria.
Queensland’s Premier Campbell Newman ordered “all available police out there” to “protect Queenslanders”.
The reaction of most media for most of the day was to cheerlead the hype and to provide a ready platform to any politician who wanted to insert himself into the event.
Updated
Prime minister, Tony Abbott, is addressing the media. He says we know that Man Haron Monis, the gunman in the siege had faced court on numerous charges and had posted extremist imagery online.
As the siege unfolded yesterday, he sought to cloak his actions with the symbolism of the Isil death cult. Tragically, there are people in our community ready to engage in politically motivated violence. The events in Martin Place also show that we are ready to deal with these people professionally and with the full force of law. I want to thank the NSW police and all the other agencies involved for their professionalism and courage.
Abbott will travel to Sydney this afternoon to be briefed by NSW police and security agencies. He says he will face media again to take questions when he has more information about what happened. He repeats that it was a politicially motivated attack, something which the NSW police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, has been more careful in addressing.
Abbott says Sydneysiders should be proud of their calm in the face of such a situation.
Australians should be reassured by the way our law enforcement and security agencies responded to this brush with terrorism. There is nothing more Australian than dropping in at the local cafe for a morning coffee and it’s tragic beyond words that people going about their everyday business should have been caught up in such a horrific incident. Our hearts go out to all of those caught up in this appalling incident and their loved ones.
The Chairman and Group CEO of Lindt and Sprüngli, Ernst Tanner, has released a statement he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the siege at Lindt Cafe in Martin Place.
I cannot believe that such an act of violence happened. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the victims and their families. In these difficult times we all need to stand together in order to defend the values of freedom, peace and tolerance.”
Lindt will provide any support for their victims and their families.
Here is the full statement from Lindt:
As the hostage-taking in our Café in Sydney came to an end, Lindt & Sprüngli is profoundly saddened and deeply affected about the death of innocent people. We are devastated by the loss of their lives and that several others were wounded and had to experience such trauma. Our thoughts and feelings are with the victims and their families who have been through an incredible ordeal, and we want to pay tribute to their courage and bravery.
“I’m shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible incident that has taken place in Sydney”, says Ernst Tanner, Chairman and Group CEO Lindt & Sprüngli. “I cannot believe that such an act of violence happened. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the victims and their families. In these difficult times we all need to stand together in order to defend the values of freedom, peace and tolerance.”
Our immediate concerns are for the innocent people who were taken hostage in a place which was chosen in such a random way. We are thankful that most of the hostages who were involved in this terrible criminal act were freed by the intervention of the New South Wales Police Forces and would like to thank them for their service.
“Lindt & Sprüngli will provide any support to the victims and their families, and indeed to all our employees affected by this event. We are grateful for the support we received from the public in Australia and from all around the world”, says Steven Loane, CEO Lindt & Sprüngli in Australia.
Updated
Guardian Middle East correspondent, Martin Chulov, has written some analysis of the siege. It is the sum of all Australian fears over terrorism, he says:
There is another small and ill-defined number of citizens in the mix [of threats to Australia] – those who have developed grievances over the past decade and are willing to hitch themselves to a terror group’s cause to settle personal scores. The Martin Place gunman, Man Haron Monis, appears to fit this category. The self-proclaimed cleric was on bail facing dozens of charges of indecent and sexual assault, all of which he denied, and has also been accused of being an accessory to the killing of his ex-wife – run-ins with the justice system that he resented.
To many Australians, regardless of the suspect’s motivations, the siege was the sum of all fears – an event that has moved from being considered fanciful in the post-9/11 days to almost inevitable just over a decade later. More Australians per capita than almost any other nationality have travelled to join Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra, a statistic that disturbs the government and preoccupies the intelligence community.
Traffic update for the Sydney CBD from NSW police:
Police will continue to maintain a perimeter around a cafe at the corner of Martin Place and Philip streets this morning.
Traffic and Highway Patrol police have cordoned off parts of Hunter, King, Phillip and Elizabeth streets.
• Elizabeth Street between Hunter and King Streets – closed to all traffic
• Elizabeth Street – northbound between Market and King Street – closed to all traffic
• Phillip Street – between King and Hunter Streets – closed to all traffic
• King Street – between Elizabeth and Phillip Streets – closed to all traffic
• Macquarie Street – between St James Road and Hunter Street – closed to all traffic
Bus services will run according to regular schedules, although some routes will be diverted around the affected area.
Train services will operate normally although Martin Place station remains closed.
People intending to travel to the Sydney CBD, away from the cordoned off area are advised, to go ahead with their plans.
Rupert Murdoch, media magnate and executive chairman of News Corp, is holidaying in his native Australia for Christmas so has been in the country for the siege.
AUST gets wake-call with Sydney terror. Only Daily Telegraph caught the bloody outcome at 2.00 am. Congrats.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) December 15, 2014
AUST, UK and US likely to catch most plots. Lone Wolves are the frightening danger.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) December 15, 2014
Opposition leader, Bill Shorten, says he continues to offer his support to the prime minister and the government in a statement released this morning.
The loss of two innocent people in this horrific event overnight breaks our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.
We also keep in our thoughts the wounded and other hostages, and their families. Their ordeal is not over.
We owe our full gratitude to our police and security agencies for their bravery, service and sacrifice. Their skill and professionalism has saved lives.
The Opposition continues to offer the Government its full support during this difficult time. The Prime Minister and I are partners when it comes to keeping Australians safe.
Today, all of Australia stands with Sydney.
Guardian’s profile of the gunman in the siege, Man Haron Monis, has been updated with more information here.
Michael Safi reports:
Until his entry into the global media spotlight as the shadowy figure at the centre of the Sydney siege, Man Haron Monis had long been viewed as a fringe figure in Sydney’s Islamic community, his self-radicalisation rooted in grievances against the Australian government and increasing marginalisation among his peers.
The self-proclaimed spiritual healer had achieved a degree of notoriety as the author of “grossly offensive” letters sent to taunt parents and relatives of Australians killed by extremism in Indonesia as well as troops who lost their lives in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009.
Well known to the Australian police, he had been consumed by his conviction for the offence, unsuccessfully challenging the conviction in the high court last year and making several vehement and erratic public statements claiming to be innocent.
He also faced numerous charges relating to his time working as a “spiritual healer” – including 22 counts of aggravated sexual assault and 14 counts of aggravated indecent assault – and had been bailed for allegedly being an accessory to the killing of his former wife.
Updated
Here is video of the NSW police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, addressing media confirming the death of three people, including the gunman, in the siege.
Updated
Three people dead, four injured, 17 hostages - what we know so far
Police have confirmed three people died as the siege at Lindt Cafe in Sydney came to an end nearing its 17th hour just after 2am AEDT on Tuesday. Here is what we know so far:
- Police have counted 17 hostages in total. Two hostages and the gunman died after police stormed the cafe when shots were fired just after 2am AEDT. Four people were injured in the confrontation, including a hostage who was shot in the shoulder.
- About 11 people escaped during the siege. Five people escaped before 7pm AEDT on Monday and five to six people ran from the cafe in the minutes gunfire was heard from the cafe.
- Police have launched an immediate investigation into the shooting and it is not yet known who fired the fatal gunshots.
- Police believe the gunman was working alone. NSW police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, said the police involved saved “many lives” and acted after they heard gunshots within the cafe. He also called for people not to get carried away by speculation:
We need to actually find out what’s happened here and what’s happened inside that cafe. It’s not time to speculate or to develop theories. We are going to work through facts and we will advise you as soon as we can.
- There is still an exclusion zone around Martin Place and workers in the vicinity are being asked to work from home if they can.
- The gunman has been named, Man Haron Monis, who has faced court on numerous charges, including 22 counts of aggravated sexual assault and 14 counts of aggravated indecent assault, and had been bailed for allegedly being an accessory to the killing of his former wife.
Here is a small round up of the Australian newspapers and their front pages this morning.
- The Sydney Morning Herald has the headline “Terror Hits Home” and leads their main story with “a man brandishing a gun and an Islamic flag”. The paper has 12 pages of coverage of the siege including a story headlined “Hallmarks of ‘lone wolf’ attack say experts” which seems to have been backed up this morning by the NSW police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, who says the gunman was acting alone.
- The Australian has the headline “Hostages’ night of horror’ and describes Man Haron Monis as an “Iranian self styled sheik”. An analysis written by Greg Bearup says “this may all turn out to be more lone nut case, than lone wolf, but this man provided a template for others more radical, and more able, to follow”.
- The Daily Telegraph has the headline “Evil Strikes Our Hearts” and names Man Haron Monis as a “self-styled sheik and Islamic State preacher”. The newspaper has 16 pages dedicated to the coverage with a banner at the top reading “Sydney Under Siege”. The paper carries a report detailing a phone call from a 19-year-old hostage to the Daily Telegraph newsroom. The report says “This was an attack by the Islamic State. This was a lone wolf attack by a supporter or sympathiser of the evil Islamic terror group that had waged war with humanity”.
- The Australian Financial Review has the headline “Islamic State-linked terror grips Sydney” and leads their story with “A gunman sympathetic to Islamic State” but notes he does not fit the typical profile of a young Islamic State-inspired radical.
Australian newspapers and their front page headlines this morning #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/752ZSiEPos
— Bridie Jabour (@bkjabour) December 15, 2014
Updated
The gunman has been confirmed as Man Haron Monis. Channel 9 journalist Lizzie Pearl says he is known to court reporters and has tweeted her encounters with him.
Saw Man Monis earlier this yr at Parramatta court - outside he was wearing chains + holding placard claiming he'd been tortured in custody.
— Lizzie Pearl (@lizziepearl) December 15, 2014
In Jan Man Monis asked Parramatta Court Magistrate to force ASIO to release documents - chained himself up outside claiming a conspiracy.
— Lizzie Pearl (@lizziepearl) December 15, 2014
Man Monis has been well known to Sydney journos for years. Called himself Sheikh Haron. Staged numerous protests outside Sydney courts.
— Lizzie Pearl (@lizziepearl) December 15, 2014
When I last saw Man Monis in court this yr he was representing himself on accessory to murder charges, ranting to the magistrate about ASIO.
— Lizzie Pearl (@lizziepearl) December 15, 2014
The prime minister, Tony Abbott, says the national security committee of cabinet will meet shortly to review the situation. He has released the following statement:
Australians awoke to the news this morning that the siege in Martin Place has ended.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two deceased hostages, the wounded and the other hostages.
I commend the courage and professionalism of the New South Wales police and other emergency services involved.
Early this morning I was briefed on developments by New South Wales premier Mike Baird and New South Wales police commissioner Andrew Scipione, as well as Australian federal police commissioner Andrew Colvin.
Commonwealth agencies will continue to provide every support to New South Wales authorities.
Updated
Here are some images from when the siege ended after 2am Tuesday after a gunman took hostages for about 16 hours. Police stormed the Lindt cafe after shots were fired inside and three people, including the gunman, died in the confrontation.
Police have put the hostage count at 17.
The gunman killed in the Sydney cafe siege has been named by police as Man Haron Monis, 50, a self-styled Muslim cleric and peace activist who had been on bail facing dozens of charges of indecent and sexual assault, my colleague Michael Safi reports here.
He had denied the charges and claimed they are part of a witch-hunt against him.
Monis, who also went by the names Mohammad Hassan Manteghi and Manteghi Boroujerdi, was previously involved in sending offensive letters to relatives of Australian victims of terrorism and troops killed in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009. He unsuccessfully challenged his conviction over the letters in Australia’s high court last year.
Updated
NSW police commissioner Andrew Scipione says police made the decision to enter the Lindt cafe because shots were fired inside.
He is asked if hostages were killed by gunfire from the hostage taker, or from police:
Again, as a result of an exchange of gunfire inside those premises, police moved in. At this stage as I’ve indicated we have a number of people that are injured and certainly we’re working through that as part of the critical incident.
NSW premier Mike Baird is asked if he is concerned by reports the gunman was out of jail on bail:
Well, I’m concerned that there was a vicious, horrendous attack that has taken place in the heart of our city, and there are many questions that will come in the coming hours, days and weeks. What I can assure you is I will answer every single one of them. We will get to the bottom of events and we will do everything possible to ensure we do not see happen again in this city what we saw in the last 24 hours.
Scipione is asked if the hostages were treated well and responds that police believed they were uninjured until they heard gunfire and that’s when they entered the cafe.
Updated
New South Wales police commissioner Andrew Scipione says we are now dealing with a critical incident and a thorough investigation has started.
We need to actually find out what’s happened here and what’s happened inside that cafe. It’s not time to speculate or to develop theories. We are going to work through facts and we will advise you as soon as we can.
Scipione says it was the work of an individual. He says at this stage the police count of hostages is 17.
I, too, would like to commend the work of our police. While everyone might now second guess as to what has actually occurred in the last hours, well, they are the ones who had the make the decision. Our police had to deal with this incident. It was tough, exacting work. Many hours, whether they were ... part of a team that had to make that entry and deal with this situation. I want to point out they have saved lives, they have saved many lives, and to those men and women, all that were involved, we thank you. As your commissioner I thank you, but as a community, I’m sure Australia thanks you.
Updated
NSW police commissioner and premier address media
New South Wales police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, and NSW premier, Mike Baird, are addressing the media.
This morning I come before you with the heaviest of hearts, unbelievably overnight we have lost some of our own in an attack we never thought we would see here in our city. In the past 24 hours this city has been shaken.
The values we held dear yesterday, we hold dear today. The values of freedom, democracy and harmony.
He pays tribute to the police and emergency workers who have worked around the clock for the past 24 hours.
We will get through this. We will get through this.
Updated
Police confirm three dead, including gunman
Police have confirmed three people are dead. Police said the 50-year-old man who took the hostages died at hospital after a confrontation between himself and police this morning where shots were fired.
A 34-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, who were among the hostages, were shot and pronounced dead at hospital. Two women were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Another woman was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to her shoulder.
A male police officer suffered non-life threatening wounds to his face from gunshot pellets.
Guardian reporter, Helen Davidson, has filed this eyewitness account of when the siege ended just after 2am (AEDT) this morning.
The exclusion zone police put in place before the end of the siege will continue to operate this morning with people who usually work in the CBD near Martin Place asked to work from home if they can. The exclusion zone is bordered by Elizabeth Street, Hunter Street, Macquarie Street and St James Road.
NSW Government say exclusion zone will continue to operate around #MartinPl #SydneySiege #9News pic.twitter.com/hNVxbX0M5X
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) December 15, 2014
Trauma specialists are on stand-by at St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney for those injured in the siege. Sydney Morning Herald video journalist, Amanda Hoh, is at the hospital and reports police are guarding an ambulance and have put up a white sheet to protect whoever is injured in the ambulance.
Police guarding an ambulance and a white sheet has been raised outside RPA #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/ztH6RND9lI
— Amanda Hoh (@amandahoh) December 15, 2014
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and New South Wales premier Mike Baird will now address media at 6am AEDT. There are varying reports on the number of casualties and we are working to confirm a number but may not know until the police press conference.
Guardian photographer at large Mike Bowers took the below photos as the siege ended.
My colleague Fred McConnell is at Martin Place, close to the family centre where relatives of those held hostage have been gathered.
Activity building around the family center. Press conference nearby at 5am. #MartinPlaceSiege pic.twitter.com/QyoewUuGFR
— Fred McConnell (@fred_dash) December 15, 2014
How the siege unfolded
Opening summary
Welcome to our ongoing coverage of the aftermath of the siege at a cafe in Sydney. Here is what we know, after the Sydney siege ended with a group of hostages escaping and police storming the Lindt cafe in Martin Place:
- Police confirmed at 2.44am DST that the siege was over. Authorities will hold a press conference at 5am (6pm GMT).
- There are – as yet unconfirmed – reports that at least two people have been killed.
- The man behind the Sydney cafe siege is reported to be 49-year-old self-styled ‘Muslim cleric and peace activist’ named Man Haron Monis, who is currently on bail facing dozens of charges of indecent and sexual assault.
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Several hostages – thought to number five to seven – unexpectedly fled the cafe before officers went in.
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Loud bangs were heard and NSW police confirmed live ammunition was used.
- Other people have been removed from the scene, some on stretchers, apparently needing medical attention.
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A bomb disposal robot was sent into the building.
The siege started on Monday morning when a gunman took customers and staff hostage. You can read our latest news story here and catch up with our coverage so far in our previous liveblog.
