I was listening to the feed when suddenly I had to comment:
Wait… The name of the Police Commissioner is Skippy?
Probably a reference to Andrew Scipione, the NSW Police Commissioner.
3 hostages are out. Looks like one staff member and two customers.
We’ve now been told to leave.
I’m sure the trains and buses will be chaotic, so I’m just going to walk: 4km, about 45 minutes.
3:56pm: Deputy Commissioner Burn has confirmed that three hostages have made it out of the Lindt Cafe at Martin Place.
In a press conference, she said she did not have any information that any people inside the cafe had been harmed at this stage.
“A peaceful resolution will be what we are working for,” she said.
From the link above.
My office comms just about 5 min ago said for us to go home as well, but put work-continuity measures in place (so take your laptops!) so you can work from home tomorrow if transport is a mess.
Even if they get everybody out there will be police everywhere, so I’m going to work from home, I reckon. Plus any excuse, heh.
[quote=“GIGObuster, post:6, topic:707247”]
ABC news has dropped their lock to other countries, live YouTube feed here:
[/QUOTE]Huge props for the link GIGObuster!
https://twitter.com/nicchristensen/status/544340812448804864/photo/1
Disgusting News Ltd (Murdoch) press is disgusting, surprising absolutely no one at all.
Qft. If it’s live on any US cable, I’m not privvy to it, so this is really great. Not the situation, of course, but thanks for the link. Tuned in time to see the three people come out, and hoping for a quiet ending.
Oh good grief. :dubious:
Now if a disgruntled citizen wanted to take hostages in the editorial office of that particular newspaper…nah, too easy.
Two more women have been let out, per several sources, so that’s five total. Police confirming they are they have contact with the person who is holding the hostages.
Police have also said they won’t confirm numbers but it is less than 30.
I think that higher number of 40-50 was per the Australian CEO of Lindt, who suggested that at that time of day the place would have been packed. Of course, that was mere speculation on his part, but the tabloid media ran with that number…:rolleyes:
One hundred percent true story: I walked out of the MLC center at about 9:30 this morning, paused, and said to myself, “You know, they’re expecting me quite late at work today, and I’ve been meaning for months to see how Lindt compares to Max Brenner, and it’s Monday morning, and I’m incredibly tempted to say to hell with it and go get a hot chocolate or something.”
Obviously, and thankfully, responsibility won over, but I have been periodically getting goosebumps all day at the fact that I was very close to being in there.
Here’s hoping everyone gets out safely; who this nutjob is and what to do with him can wait until everyone is safe.
Who let YOU into Australia?? 
She’s a ninja, she can get anywhere. 
Seriously, I’m glad you all are OK.
Of course they did. The media is wetting its collective pants over this. Better (for them) than bushfire season.
I hope we Aussies can keep a cool head about this one and treat it for what it is; a crazy person doing silly things. This is utterly a disturbance that police are trained for and they seem to be doing the smart things first so far. I am looking forward to the apparently lone gunman being gassed out, flashbanged and then punched in the groin if he resists. The guy seems to be semi genuine as he is releasing hostages, hopefully he sees the folly and does the smart thing even further.
Feel for the hostages, but the police squads must also be getting bloody tired after being on high alert all day.
What the hostages experience must be dreadful.
I’m all teary because of this, but in a good way. I’m in Melbourne and don’t commute, but I hope it does some good to keep us all civil with each other. #IllRideWithYou
The gunman was just named as Man Haron Monis.
Iranian and he wants an ISIS flag.
This guy is crazier than previously thought. ISIS is at war with the Shia. Iran is helping to support Baghdad in the war and that helps the Shia.
Show hope they get the hostages safely released tonight.