Race-fuelled violence spread through Sydney beachside suburbs overnight after chanting mobs chased down and bashed people of Middle Eastern appearance and clashed with police at Cronulla Beach during the day.
At least 12 people were arrested at the southern Sydney beachside suburb of Cronulla in a near-riot which erupted after text messages began circulating earlier this week among rival groups urging attacks on each other.
Despite a strong police presence at Cronulla, there were numerous assaults on people of Middle Eastern appearance and on an ambulance crew.
In an apparently-related attack later last night, a 23-year-old man was stabbed in the back outside a golf club at nearby Woolooware by what police described as a group of males of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance.
About the same time, up to 50 carloads of youths smashed up over 100 cars with baseball bats and other weapons in the eastern beach suburb of Maroubra, in apparent retaliation for the Cronulla beatings.
Riot police were also called in to the beachside suburb of Brighton-le-Sands to control groups of brawling youths who had reportedly thrown projectiles at police.
But the trouble first flared at Cronulla, with mobs of youths chanting racist slogans and carrying Australian flags attacked youths of Middle Eastern appearance and turned on police who tried to control the violence.
Two paramedics were also injured as they tried to rescue a group of people from the Cronulla Surf Lifesaving Club, where they had fled to escape the violence.
The mob broke the ambulance vehicle's windows and kicked its doors as the paramedics tried to get the group out.
Police, who used capsicum spray and batons in their battle to subdue the rioters, were also pelted with beer bottles.
The trouble began with scuffles about midday yesterday (AEDT) after thousands of people, many carrying Australian flags and dressed in Australian shirts, rallied at the beach.
As the crowd moved along the beach and foreshore area today, one man on the back of a ute began to shout "No more Lebs" - a chant picked up by the group around him.
Others in the crowd yelled "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie ... Oi, Oi, Oi".
Many had adorned their bodies with racist slogans. One shirtless teenager walked by, this message painted on his back: "It's time for a f---ing war, so join the army of hardcore".
Authorities had expected yesterday's violence after the two incidents - an attack on two lifeguards last Sunday and a brawl later in the week in which youths turned on a media crew.