Arrests as extra police deploy in Sydney to prevent riot repeat

A man has been charged with inciting violence in Sydney’s CBD as hundreds of extra police prepare to patrol the city to prevent a repeat of last Saturday’s riots. The anti-West violence by angry Muslim protesters prompted the US Consulate General to advise Americans in Sydney to avoid Hyde Park and Martin Place this weekend.

But authorities hope commonsense prevails and say they are not expecting a repeat of last week’s violent clashes between protesters and police.

The rioting was sparked by anger over the US anti-Islam YouTube film, Innocence of Muslims, but Sydney’s Islamic community leaders have since condemned the violence and urged no further protests.

On Friday police arrested a 20-year-old man in Ingleburn in Sydney’s southwest and charged him with recruiting persons to engage in criminal activity and publishing to incite, urge or aid the commission of a crime.

Detectives have been monitoring social networking sites this week and allege the man used websites and text messages to incite more violence this weekend.

The man was granted strict conditional bail to appear in Penrith Local Court on October 15.

A second man, aged 21, was arrested in The Rocks in central Sydney on Friday on suspicion of inciting and promoting violence through social networking websites and was being interviewed by detectives (continue reading...)