PM, police attack Sydney racial unrest

Angry crowds confront police at Sydney's Cronulla beach. Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Underlying hatred in some elements of the Middle Eastern community, and anger within the Anglo-Saxon community, must be addressed to prevent more violence in Sydney, New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said today.

He said there was clear fault among the two opposing groups who carried out the race-fuelled violence at Cronulla yesterday and overnight, and talks between the two sides were essential if the problem were to be solved. More than 20 people were injured and 16 arrested in the violence.

Prime Minister John Howard refused to call Australians racist following the violence.

"Mob violence is always sickening," Mr Howard said.

"Attacking people on the basis of their race, their appearance, their ethnicity, is totally unacceptable and should be repudiated by all Australians irrespective of their own background and their politics," he said.

"I believe yesterday's behaviour was completely unacceptable but I'm not going to put a general tag (of) racism on the Australian community.

"I think it's a term that is flung around sometimes carelessly and I'm simply not going to do so."

During an interview on the Seven Network, Mr Moroney said: "I've sensed within some elements of this (Middle Eastern) community a hate. It's a hate that I don't understand, I don't understand it as a man."

While he was at a loss to explain that hatred, the only way forward was rational, considered talks between the two groups to head off further tension.

"In that sense, then, we can pass laws, we can provide a whole range of solutions, law enforcement being one of those," Mr Moroney said.

"But the premier is right in that what we have to engage in here is a higher level of personal account and personal responsibility.

"And it's a case of working with these young people as well."

Mr Moroney said there was clear fault among the two groups who carried out the Cronulla violence and talks between the sides were vital to solve the problem.

Mr Howard also dismissed any suggestion his government's warnings about home-grown terrorists had fuelled the rampage.

"It is impossible to know how individuals react but everything this government's said about home-grown terrorism has been totally justified," Mr Howard told reporters in Sydney.

"It is a potential threat. To suggest that one should remain silent ... knowing what I know because that might antagonise someone else is a complete failure of leadership."

Mr Howard said he fully supported the actions of police at Cronulla and anybody who broke the law yesterday or on the previous weekend, when two lifeguards and a camera crew were assaulted, should be apprehended and prosecuted.

Mr Howard warned anyone considering further violent behaviour they would face the full force of the law.

"Nobody in this country has a right to take the law into their own hands.

"It applied to the behaviour of people yesterday, it applied to the behaviour of people on the beach the previous weekend.

"Any action the NSW Police take in response to that has my full support."

- AAP