The siege on December 15th in the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Martin Place, in the heart of Sydney's business district, was the first terrorist act in Australia based on a political message about Islam. The morning had started with regulars queuing for coffee on their way to work. Shortly before 10am the doors were locked from the inside. For the next 16 hours, a gunman held 17 staff and customers hostage, forcing them to display a black flag with an Islamic creed against the window. Some but not all managed to slip out. In the early hours of the following morning, police stormed the cafe, apparently responding to shots inside. In a heavy exchange of gunfire, the gunman and two hostages died.
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