The riots were triggered by an event the previous Sunday, when an altercation turned physical between a group of youths of Middle Eastern appearance and lifeguards on Cronulla beach.

Following the reporting of this event by the tabloid media and shock jocks on local radio, a racially motivated gathering was organised via chain texting for the following weekend.

The gathering turned violent and the police attempted to protect individuals of ethnic minority groups who were attacked by the rioters.

Violence spread to other southern suburbs of Sydney, where assaults occurred, including two stabbings and attacks on ambulances and police officers.

Some media were criticised and well-known radio personality Alan Jones was formally censured and fined for his inflammatory broadcasts during that week.

[6] The previous summer on Australia Day (26 January 2005), a non-racial riot occurred with around 2,000 to 3,000 young people in the Cronulla area engaged in "civil disobedience", at one stage hurling missiles at police attempting to control the crowd.

[3] Just after 15:00 on Sunday, 4 December 2005, police were called to North Cronulla Beach following a report of an assault on two off-duty surf lifesavers by four members of a group of eight men.

[3] One of the lifesavers later informed police that the four were part of a group of eight Australian Lebanese that had been on the beach most of the day and that there had been no problems with their prior behaviour.

"[13] After the riots, Jones was found to have breached the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Code of Conduct section 1.3(a), as his comments were "likely to encourage violence or brutality and to vilify people of Lebanese and Middle-Eastern backgrounds on the basis of ethnicity".

[13] In December 2009, the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal found Jones and radio station 2GB guilty of vilifying Lebanese Muslims in earlier "Cronulla Riot" broadcasts.

Later investigations revealed that over 270,000 individual SMS text messages were transmitted inciting a racially motivated confrontation at North Cronulla Beach the following Saturday.

[16][17][18] However at 12:59, a young man of "Middle Eastern appearance" was spotted on the beach and the crowds began "chanting stuff [and] yelling out things" before rushing him.

At approximately 15:00, "two young men of Middle Eastern appearance" arrived at Cronulla train station with the crowd outside chanting "Fuck off wogs!".

[16][3][20] At 15:20, two separate assaults took place; one involved a crowd attacking a man of "Middle Eastern appearance" and throwing beer bottles.

[16][22][23] The group assaulted several people, knocking one unconscious and threatening another with rape, and damaged between 60 and 100 cars, setting at least one on fire in Arden Street, Coogee.

[23][27][28] The incident occurred outside Woolooware golf club when two cars carrying a group of males "described as being of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance" approached the man and his friends.

[29] A man named Jake Schofield was attacked by a group of four men of "Middle Eastern appearance", who beat him repeatedly, stabbing him twice and hitting him with a piece of concrete before stealing his wallet and keys.

[31] Text messages similar to the earlier 270,000 inciting racial violence had also turned up in other states including Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.

[32] The Uniting Church in Auburn,[31] a predominantly Tongan congregation,[31] was burned and those attending Christmas carols were abused and threatened.

[38][39] These persons were charged with, amongst other things: malicious damage, possession or use of a prohibited weapon, assaulting police, rioting, resisting arrest, threatening violence and affray.

[7][38][51] The strike force initially consisted of 28 members under the command of Superintendent Dennis Bray, but was increased to 100 officers on 20 January 2006.

During a radio interview, New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney claimed to have no video footage of the retaliatory attacks on 11 December; however it was later revealed that the police had had a video for five weeks, leading Moroney to sack Bray,[52] who was later reinstated to a lesser role, having been replaced by Detective Superintendent Ken Mckay.

The gathering was justified as a protest against "ethnic gangs" with blame for the rioting and violence largely placed on alcohol and the agitation of far-right groups.

[55] During a press conference along with the Comanchero MC (which has a large number of Middle Eastern members), an apology from the Maroubra "Bra Boys" was also issued to leaders of the Islamic community.

She suggested that in recent years multiculturalism had begun to be derided with conservative politicians calling for one homogeneous, non-diverse culture, citing amongst others the "popularity and success" of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation Party.

[58] The New South Wales parliament convened on 15 December to pass laws giving police new powers[31][60] including: the ability to seize cars and mobile phones for up to seven days, close licensed premises and prohibit bringing alcohol into lockdown zones.

[35][60] New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma called the attacks "disgusting, cowardly behaviour"[61] and condemned the rioters.

[66] The New South Wales state government announced a A$250,000 tourism campaign after authorities in Great Britain, Canada and Indonesia issued travel warnings to their citizens.

[68] PFF chairman Nicholas Folkes was refused permission in the Supreme Court of New South Wales "on the grounds it would stir up racial hatred".

[70] The majority of the anti-racism protesters were escorted by police to Cronulla Railway station and onto trains headed towards the city of Sydney.