this time when the world is watching at the aussie open: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Croatian and Serbian spectators kicked each other and used flagpoles as weapons during brief scuffles Monday at the Australian Open tennis tournament. Police and private security guards at the year's first Grand Slam event ejected 150 people from the Melbourne Park venue after the violence, which organizers, players and community leaders condemned. Police said no injuries were reported and no arrests were made. Two groups of mostly male youths dressed in the colours of the former rivals in a bitter early-1990s war chanted slogans and yelled insults at each other near a lawn area where a giant television screen is set up for spectators. News photographs and footage recorded on mobile phones of the incident showed youths kicking each other and using large hand-held flags as batons. Australian television showed police, some of them with batons drawn, marching supporters out of the venue and escorting them out of the area on trains. "While we are happy for fans to come along and support their favourite player, decisive action will be taken if any patrons or groups cross the line of acceptable behaviour at this family event," Tennis Australia chief Steve Wood said in a statement. Serbian and Croatian community groups blamed each other for the trouble. Tom Starcevic, secretary of the Croatian Community Association in Victoria state, said witnesses told him that Serbs provoked the dispute by chanting "Die, Croat, die." Toma Banjanin, president of the Serbian Cultural Club, blamed Croatian supporters for provoking the incident, accusing them of "mixing politics with sport." Serbia and Croatia were involved in a brutal war in the early 1990s as the former Yugoslavia crumbled. In Australia, the Croatian and Serbian communities both number in the hundreds of thousands. Serbian player Jelena Jankovic, a U.S. Open semifinalist last year, said ethnic divisions had no place at the tournament, but that such incidents occurred more in Melbourne - one of Australia most mixed-ethnic cities - than elsewhere on the tennis circuit. "I think just here in Melbourne that there is this kind of problems," she said. "Anywhere else in the world it's fine. "I don't like when they are fighting against each other and kind of booing the other player just because they are from some other country. I think that's not fair." Croatia's Mario Ancic, seeded ninth in the men's draw, said he wasn't aware of Monday's disturbance. Authorities tightened security at the venue, with Croatian Marin Cilic due to play against Serbia's Ilia Bozoljac in a first-round men's match Tuesday.</div> http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/news_story/?ID=192314&hubname=
<div class="quote_poster">I-Miss-MJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">no surprise. wish they'd all go home sometimes.</div> are u first nations (aboriginal)? cause im sure they wish u all went home.
you know these people are just so irritating, some of them are probably italian or something like that, all they want is to be angry, they give excuses like our nations have been at war for decades, so we have a right to fight them. thats all BS, they dont care which country there from or anything like that, they just take any excuse to fight,they are just a big bunch of brainless thugs looking for trouble, nothing to do with racial tension, although that is what it seems like. there is alot of them at my school, they all think that they have to be proud of there country, represent it, and fight for it. but most of the time they dont even speak the language of their "homeland", they dont even know where it is on a map
<div class="quote_poster">I-Miss-MJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post"> and deception - spare me from something you know little about.</div> u just another bigoted bloke with no hope. and the other kid, is just that- a kid. grow up boyz and get yourself an education.
<div class="quote_poster">deception Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">u just another bigoted bloke with no hope. and the other kid, is just that- a kid. grow up boyz and get yourself an education.</div> Wait, how the hell is he biggoted by saying that he wants racists out of Australia? And for a little eWarrior like yourself to preach education is laughable. You can't even string together a sentence with cogent grammar. Look kid, we get your point. Racism exists, and you're very angry about it. What are you doing to remedy it, going on a basketball forum and being an instigator? Please, grow up. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting "chuck":</div><div class="quote_post">Get a life, kid. Or at least read more before you open your mouth. I've never seen a pseudointellectual with such an unjustified air of condescension towards the people who agree with most of what they say. You're a seriously backwards dude. You're a sheep-like, trendy, anti-American, tool. </div>
<div class="quote_poster">NTC187 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not surprised in the least.</div> not many would be. Not after that big stink at the beach in Sydney (can't remember the name)
Even before that though, I wouldnt have been surprised, I wasnt surprised at the whole Cronulla "riots", that should've happened 10 years ago.
As a Melbournian, I wish these idiots would all piss off and take the fighting back where it belongs, to NSW.
<div class="quote_poster">rafy Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm ashamed to be a serbo croat. That's just horrible, they should all be shot.</div> You are? Same here man, I'm from Bosnia. I do sense a little prejudice between these posters so far. What's up with that guys?
<div class="quote_poster">Sasha Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I do sense a little prejudice between these posters so far. What's up with that guys?</div> All these 'race riots' here are ALWAYS started by these types. The soccer match months ago. The tennis Cronulla I am sick of these a/holes starting **** cos they think they are superior in their little faggoty gangs talken lik dis cos dey dun no engrish. (Yes I realise not all are like this)
You need to use less of the faggoty and spew your disdain in a more constructive manner. Sure, there are a couple of bad folks but to to throw out accusations that "these types" cause this trouble is dumb and ignorant. Wise up.
<div class="quote_poster">Sasha Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">You need to use less of the faggoty and spew your disdain in a more constructive manner. Sure, there are a couple of bad folks but to to throw out accusations that "these types" cause this trouble is dumb and ignorant. Wise up.</div> There is history that 'these types' cause this trouble. Facts are there so I do not need to wise up.
<div class="quote_poster">I-Miss-MJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">There is history that 'these types' cause this trouble. Facts are there so I do not need to wise up.</div> Well said, I've experienced close to 8 years of it myself. It's hard for you guys to understand, because from what I gather, you're forcefed this theory that Australia is just this tranquil tourist destination, then when somthing such as the race riots hit your media, bang! It's suddenly a racial outburst by white Australia, but what they fail to tell you, is the years of bullshit white Australians (such as myself) have put up with from the likes of people from Middle Eastern and West European decent, with the likes of gangs, crime, violence, harrassment etc. Now thats not to say that every single person of Middle Eastern or West European decent is like that (I've had many West European friends), and thats not to say that White Australia isnt without its flaws either, but the majority of white Australia know how to respect other cultures, and act in a civilzed manner. The Cronulla Riots wernt in the spirit of just attacking people of Middle Eastern appearance because they were of Middle Eastern appearance (well it was at the time, but that wasnt the reasoning), it was in retaliation to the crap we've put up with, in relation to Lebanese gang raping our women, senseless bashings (the Riots were in retaliation to a group of Lebanese youth bashing a couple of white Australian Life Guards for no apparent reason) etc. etc. You really have to be from or lived in Australia (namely Melbourne or Sydney) for a considerable amount to understand it all.
These "problems" only really occur in NSW and Victoria though (predominant areas of people of Middle Eastern and Western European decent), I've never had any problems up here in Queensland, and I'm pretty sure its the same elsewhere in Australia.
