Australians were warned today to stay away from beaches in three cities this weekend by police who said they have credible evidence that racial violence was being planned.
Police urged people to avoid Cronulla Beach in Sydney's south, where racial violence first flared last Sunday, as well as eastern suburbs beaches which include Maroubra and Bondi, and beaches in regional coastal cities Wollongong and Newcastle.
Police commissioner Ken Moroney
"Our latest intelligence tells us that large numbers of people are planning to go to these areas on Sunday to cause riotous behaviour," New South Wales state Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said in a statement today.
"I would urge people who do not live in these areas to stay away unless they have a good reason to be there," Mr Moroney said. "It is my duty to warn the public that these areas have been identified as targets."
Racist text messages and e-mails have been circulating calling for violence this Sunday - the one week anniversary of the unrest - and media reported talk of Lebanese youths calling themselves the "lions of Lebanon" coming from across the country to fight this weekend.
Sydney's racial violence erupted at Cronulla when thousands of people, some yelling racist chants, attacked people of Middle East appearance, saying they were defending their beach from Lebanese youth gangs. Police said white supremacists incited violence at Cronulla.
Lebanese and Muslim youths retaliated with two nights of violence in several different beachside suburbs. A major police crackdown restored calm.
Police will undertake the biggest security operation since the 2000 Olympics in a bid to halt further racial unrest.