| Author | Message | ||
     Corporatemonkey |
Bikers brawl through Australian airport Some of the warring gang members escaped by hailing taxis The Associated Press updated 10:03 a.m. PT, Sun., March. 22, 2009 SYDNEY - Warring bikers brawled through Australia's largest airport Sunday, beating one suspected gang member to death and brandishing metal poles "like swords" as they rampaged through the main domestic terminal in front of terrified travelers. Police said a group of suspected gang members was ambushed as they disembarked from an airplane. "A fight ensued, the fight moved through various parts of the terminal," said Police Detective Inspector Peter Williams. He said 15 men were involved in the violence, which rampaged from the ground floor up one level to the departures hall before most of the men fled. Williams said one man died in a hospital from head injuries after the brawl, which appeared to bear out warnings of an impending biker war in Sydney. "They came running through picking up the big metal barrier poles and swinging them like swords at each other," witness Naomi Constantine told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "I saw one of the men lying on the ground and another man came up with a pole and just started smashing it into his head," she said. Four men were arrested, Williams said. The others escaped, some of them by hailing taxis, local media reported. No charges were immediately laid. Police did not identify the gangs suspected in the violence. Authorities fear a gang war is brewing in Sydney following string of drive-by shootings and an explosion last month outside a fortified Hell's Angel's clubhouse. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29824457/ MSN Privacy . Legal © 2009 MSNBC.com | ||
| Aeholton |
Maybe Australia should outlaw metal barrier poles along with guns. This wouldn't have happened if the airport didn't have weapons of violence just standing around.  | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
It's not the first time something like this has happened here, but the first time I've heard of it in somewhere as supposedly secure as an airport. There is a NSW Police Gang Squad which is to be increased in size significantly following Sunday's violence. In 2007 "New South Wales Police set up Operation Ranmore to stop the violence escalating which has resulted in 340 people arrested on 883 charges as of January 2008." Legislation has also been put in place in South Australia a while ago to outlaw some bike clubs/gangs, and NSW is following suit. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
I guess that is what happens with an island full of criminals  | ||
| Danger_dave |
Continent. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Security have 23 guys on the metal detector making sure you don't sneak pliers or a large quantity of deodorant onto a plane - in case you decide to take it apart or make it smell funny in mid air - rather than worrying about warring bikers. Sheesh. | ||
| Court |
We're lucky in America . . . . we are protected from shampoo in airplanes. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
We're lucky in America . . . . we are protected from shampoo in airplanes On my last trip I was carrying a small stash of RG6 compression fittings (think cable tv connectors) for a project. Too bad security thought I was carrying .45 cal bullets. I have never seen TSA lock down an area so quick. I became intimate with TSA security procedures   | ||
| Court |
Too funny . . . . I always get concerned when the New York papers do their annual trip to the local airports with weapons. I can't take shampoo but they generally get 7/10 weapons past. TSA is more, me thinks, a "full employment" vehicle than a security measure. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
TSA is more, me thinks, a "full employment" vehicle than a security measure. That would be an agreeable statement. Traveling has become more of a pain for me since SeaTac's TSA took away our 1st class security line. Now I get stuck behind all the lovely families that decided today would be the day to attempt to bring an SUV sized stroller through security.  | ||
| Swordsman |
"Authorities fear a gang war is brewing in Sydney following string of drive-by shootings and an explosion last month outside a fortified Hell's Angel's clubhouse. " Uhhhhh.... why is a known violent gang allowed to keep a clubhouse? Are the authorities afraid to go in and bust them?  ~SM | ||
| B00stzx3 |
What I've always wondered about biker gangs, from a sociology standpoint: what is it about motorcycles that helps working-class white guys join gangs, who don't seem to be much different than traditional gangs, like MS-13 and the Crips/Bloods? This is crazy, but the Canadian Biker Wars were even crazier http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Biker_war | ||
| Thumper74 |
I had an employee that was in a biker gang, the Devils Disciples (I think). He had a few Harleys of his own and drank excessively. Prior to being a member he was in the military and has various metals for the Kosovo conflict. He’s a dad, owned a very profitable construction company in Columbus, OH and worked part time for me at my auto parts store. We would go out for drinks and a few of his buddies loved the Buell and the custom paint. With Mike being former military, I can see the attraction of a brotherhood and the camaraderie, but I never really understood it. The chapter president asked if I wanted to join . He said that Mike had been willing to sponsor me. I respectfully declined explaining that I pretty much slept at my store and didn’t have a lot of free time. A few weeks later I caught an episode of ‘Gangland’ on television that highlighted them and then caught another one about the drug wars in Canada and they were pretty mean people. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
following string of drive-by shootings How can that happen.... aren't guns outlawed there? | ||
| Danger_dave |
Hand guns are. They mostly use sawn-off rifles which you can still get a permit for if you have a legitimate use. Personal protection is not a legitimate use. I'm told you can still get a hand gun. Big $ and a big bust if caught with it though. Criminals and gangstas still shoot each other. What the ban on guns has meant is that some knob doesn't dress up as Santa and blow his ex away or wig out and murder his class mates as easily. (Message edited by danger_dave on March 23, 2009) | ||
| Rainman |
What the ban on guns has meant is that some knob doesn't dress up as Santa and blow his ex away or wig out and murder his class mates as easily. Dang, you guys don't have any fun. What would a news reporter write about down there? PS, a continent is just an island with a big ego. | ||
| Danger_dave |
It all came about when that f***** went mad at port arthur and killed 35 innocents and the Govt said 'enough'. The majority agreed. Island with a big area. |
