Last night news broke that a gunman had taken up to 20 hostages in a busy Sydney chocolate shop located in the heart of the Sydney business district. 15 hours later and not much more is known apart from 5 hostages have managed to escape and several others have been in contact with local media outlets.
It’s being reported that the gunman has made several demands which have not yet been made public, but can be found on the Facebook page of one of the hostages named Marcia Mikhael.
The demands include an ISIL flag, a phone call with the Australian PM and for his ‘brothers’ to not detonate the bombs that are currently planted around Sydney. The gunman has also threatened to kill the hostages if his demands are not met.
Marcia is a local gym owner and was forced to post the following 3 demands to her public Facebook profile:
The post reads:
Dear friends and family I’m at the Lindt Cafe at Martin Place being held hostage by a member of the ISIL. The man who is keeping us hostage has asked for small and simple requests and non have been met. He is now threatening to start killing us. We need help right now. The man wants the world to know that Australia is under attack by the Islamic State. The demands are:
1. Send an IS flag into the cafe and someone will be released
2. To speak with Tony Abboot via live broadcast and 5 people will be released
3. Media to tell the other 2 brohters not to explode the bomb. There are 2 more bombs in the city.
Please share.
He has shot gun and a bomb.
