Today, a series of strange, confusing and somewhat horrifying events took place at Sydney’s Martin Place. Namely, an armed man has kept up to 30 hostages in a Lindt Chocolate Cafe. Some (including the NSW Police Force) are treating this as a terrorist attack.
The Sydney Opera House was evacuated earlier today. I’m not exactly sure why, considering that it’s not particularly nearby to the cafe. My guess is that as it’s a cultural icon, police believe it may be next in a potential serious of terrorist attacks? or something? Another option is that they believed that another suspected attack, or siege, was about to take place there. I really don’t know.
Anyway, because of this, events at the Opera House tonight have been cancelled, including a highly anticipated concert from Damon Albarn.
Unlike his highly publicicsed Big Day Out cancellations back in January this year, Albarn will be making up for it quickly – he’s playing two shows in a row tomorrow night to make up for it.
Other cancelled events is the Sydney Theatre Company’s Switzerland and the Australian Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker.
I have a lot to say – and to criticise – about the media handling of today’s events, but I’ll save that for another time/place.