Racial tensions erupted into violence on a Sydney beach Sunday when some 5,000 people, some yelling racist chants, converged to defend their beach from what they believe are youth gangs of Middle East background.

Local surfers and beachgoers rallied at Cronulla Beach after two young surf lifesavers were attacked last Sunday by a group of young men from Sydney's western suburbs.

As the crowd moved along the beach and foreshore, one man on the back of a truck shouted: "No more Lebs (Lebanese)" a chant picked up by the group around him. Others carried Australian flags and dressed in Australian sports shirts.

Fighting started breaking out around lunchtime as the crowd began drinking heavily and targeted people of Middle East appearance. At one stage an ambulance taking people to hospital was pelted by full bottles of beer.

Police arrest six people for offensive behavior and assault and blocked roads into the beach in southern Sydney.

"The behavior that has been seen down here at Cronulla today is nothing short of disgusting and disgraceful. It is certainly not the Australian way," said Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Goodwin.

He said some of those attacked were of Arabic background but had been born in Australia.

Cronulla Beach was the scene of two violent incidents last week an attack on two lifeguards on Sunday and a brawl later in the week in which youths turned on a media crew.

Following the attacks on the volunteer lifesavers, a mobile telephone text campaign started, calling on Cronulla locals to rally yesterday to protect their beach.

One of the messages urged "Aussies" to take revenge against "Lebs and wogs" or Lebanese and non-Australians. It said: "Bring your mates and let's show them that this is our beach and they are never welcome."

In response a text campaign urged youths from western Sydney to be at Cronulla yesterday to protect their mates.

Sydney's Islamic community blamed the violence at Cronulla Beach on "racist and irresponsible" sections of the media which turned a common youth issue into an issue of ethnicity.

(China Daily December 12, 2005)