Indian students blame Lebanese youth for racial violence in Oz

The spate of racial attacks against Indians spread to Sydney after members of the community were targeted in Melbourne. The protesters alleged that the police were ignoring their pleas for protection.

The protests came a day after PM Kevin Rudd warned Indian students against “vigilante action” to prevent attacks against them. Indian protesters continued to say that they were being attacked by Lebanese youths. A man, who took part in the protest, was issued a court notice for carrying an offensive weapon after being allegedly found with a piece of timber during a police search.

Meanwhile, Parramatta city council held a meeting with police, India’s Consul General and members of Sydney’s Indian community, with organisers saying students had agreed to stop protest rallies. Yadu Singh, coordinator of the Indian Consul General’s community committee on Indian students’ issues, said the meeting ended with calls for an end to the protests.

Rudd had on Wednesday said while violence in all Australian cities was “a regrettable part” of urban life, vigilante action was equally unwelcome.

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Thursday said that violent attacks on Indian students in the country were extremely concerning.

Lankan students attacked

A group of students from Sri Lanka have been allegedly attacked in Australia, with three men smashing the windows of their home and taunting them with “racist insults” in Canberra, reports PTI from Melobourne.

One of the students, Dijula Wijesuriya, said he has been threatened with a knife. “This guy comes up and takes out a knife and says ‘get out of our streets’,” he said. “ We just go to university, come back home straight away, lock the doors and stay inside. We have been living in fear.”