Adelaide-based Indian students' cars torched in 'race attacks'

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Jul 14 (PTI) Adelaide-based foreign students,
mainly Indians, have complained of being terrorised by a gang
of teens who allegedly torched three of their cars in firebomb
attacks, the latest in a slew of such strikes described by the
community as "racial" that have damaged over 12 of their
vehicles.
The overseas students living in Greenacres suburb said
the early morning firebomb attacks have scared them and that
they are fearing for their lives, according to 'Adelaide Now'
publication.
Yasif Multani, a 28-year-old Indian student, claimed that
a group of up to 15 neighbourhood teenagers were responsible
for a string of attacks on the student community.
Multani had two of his vehicles torched in the early
hours Tuesday and said that such attacks had led to more
than 12 cars being damaged in the past three months and mail
stolen from letter boxes, the report said.
The student community has also witnessed the spraying of
racist graffiti and bins being emptied in the streets, it
said. Car windscreens had been smashed throughout the complex
and one night a couch on a veranda was set on fire.
Multani quoted one of his friends, who was too frightened
to come forward, as saying that he saw a teenager on a bicycle
throw a petrol bomb through the windscreen of a car on
Tuesday.
"These people know when we are here and when we are
working," Multani said. "They watch us. They know everything
we do. They know which cars are ours and they have not damaged
the cars of non-international students parked in this area.
People are scared."
"At night time (the offenders) are banging on the doors
and running away, and fires have been lit close to some
(housing) units," he said.

Superintendent Barry Lewis, officer in-charge of the
Holden Hill Local Service Area, said a tactical team had been
redeployed to bring the offenders to justice.
"This is very concerning," Lewis said. "There are some
youths living nearby in that area creating a bit of an issue -
three of them are already in custody.
"We have had an operation running in the area and since
this has happened overnight, we have the tactical team back in
operation to work out who the offenders are and bring them
in."
While Lewis said the offenders were juveniles and he did
not believe the attacks were racially motivated, students have
claimed that they were racial strikes.
"The fact that there are people with overseas names
listed as owners of those cars does not mean that it was
racially motivated," Supt Lewis said.
He said the tactical team, consisting of a sergeant and
five officers, would ensure the offenders were caught and
Holden Hill police were implementing a broader strategy to
deal with such crimes.
"If there are people running around rattling windows
and causing problems in that area, we need the public to let
us know immediately so we can act on it," he said.
According to one of the residents of the student
accommodation, who did not wish to be named, the attacks
were "clearly racially motivated".
"On the same street there are around five to 10
other cars parked at night times, but it is always only the
cars of international students which are attacked," the
student said. PTI NC
RBT