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Indians 'retaliate' after new attacks
Indians 'retaliate' after new attacks
Andra Jackson
June 9, 2009
A 20-YEAR-OLD man was stabbed once in the neck and twice in the arm in St Albans early yesterday after allegedly racially abusing a group of Indian students.
The victim allegedly said: "You are black. You don't belong here. Go away from our country".
Police described the two men they want to speak to over the attack as aged between 23 and 29 years old and dark skinned.
A car believed to belong to people attacking Indians was also torched in a factory near St Albans station.
A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokeswoman said firefighters were called to the blaze in Gratz Street at 11.10pm and have ruled it suspicious.
Just 24 hours earlier, Indian student Kamal Jit, 23, was bashed unconscious while walking home from St Albans station. Around the same time, the car of an Indian student was torched on the other side of the city, in Springvale.
The attack on the 20-year-old is the first time Indian students appear to have retaliated against violent attacks against them as they walk home late at night from St Albans station.
One man, who did not want his name published, said they took the action "in self-defence" after police failed to respond to their call for protection in the wake of attacks on fellow Indian students.
He disputed claims police were liaising with the Indian community group that gathers at the station each night to protect late travellers from attacks as they walk home.
"The police don't care. In this suburb everyone is a migrant," he said.
His claims were verified by another person who witnessed the attacks but did not want his name published.
Chairman of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, Sam Afra, said it would be unacceptable for the Indian community to take the law into its own hands. "There is a danger this will become like a chain reaction with the victim becoming the perpetrator. We don't want to get to that," he said.
Kapil Bajaj, spokesman for the Hindu Council of Australia, said the possible retaliation was worrying and the council would condemn such a response.
A Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokesman said the 20-year-old man stabbed in the early hours of Monday morning was treated at the scene before being transported in a serious but stable condition to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Police said they believe the man was approached by two men in Walmer Avenue around midnight and a knife was produced.
Detectives from Keilor Downs are appealing for any witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
In other incidents the same night, a group of Indians were abused by a group of males and one Indian was punched but when the police arrived, "they did not do anything", The Age was told.
A police spokesman said police had met people organising the community watch at the station and the police presence had been increased on trains and near the station.
Indians 'retaliate' after new attacks
Andra Jackson
June 9, 2009
A 20-YEAR-OLD man was stabbed once in the neck and twice in the arm in St Albans early yesterday after allegedly racially abusing a group of Indian students.
The victim allegedly said: "You are black. You don't belong here. Go away from our country".
Police described the two men they want to speak to over the attack as aged between 23 and 29 years old and dark skinned.
A car believed to belong to people attacking Indians was also torched in a factory near St Albans station.
A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokeswoman said firefighters were called to the blaze in Gratz Street at 11.10pm and have ruled it suspicious.
Just 24 hours earlier, Indian student Kamal Jit, 23, was bashed unconscious while walking home from St Albans station. Around the same time, the car of an Indian student was torched on the other side of the city, in Springvale.
The attack on the 20-year-old is the first time Indian students appear to have retaliated against violent attacks against them as they walk home late at night from St Albans station.
One man, who did not want his name published, said they took the action "in self-defence" after police failed to respond to their call for protection in the wake of attacks on fellow Indian students.
He disputed claims police were liaising with the Indian community group that gathers at the station each night to protect late travellers from attacks as they walk home.
"The police don't care. In this suburb everyone is a migrant," he said.
His claims were verified by another person who witnessed the attacks but did not want his name published.
Chairman of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, Sam Afra, said it would be unacceptable for the Indian community to take the law into its own hands. "There is a danger this will become like a chain reaction with the victim becoming the perpetrator. We don't want to get to that," he said.
Kapil Bajaj, spokesman for the Hindu Council of Australia, said the possible retaliation was worrying and the council would condemn such a response.
A Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokesman said the 20-year-old man stabbed in the early hours of Monday morning was treated at the scene before being transported in a serious but stable condition to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Police said they believe the man was approached by two men in Walmer Avenue around midnight and a knife was produced.
Detectives from Keilor Downs are appealing for any witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
In other incidents the same night, a group of Indians were abused by a group of males and one Indian was punched but when the police arrived, "they did not do anything", The Age was told.
A police spokesman said police had met people organising the community watch at the station and the police presence had been increased on trains and near the station.