Has Sydney been under siege?
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
The 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, also known as the Sydney siege and Lindt Cafe siege, occurred on 15–16 December 2014 when a lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, held hostage ten customers and eight employees of a Lindt chocolate café located at Martin Place in Sydney, Australia. Police treated the event as a terrorist attack at the time, but Monis' motives were subsequently debated. However, the findings of the Coroner in 2017 deemed the event to be a terrorist attack.
Sydney lockout laws
Reports in October 2018 stated that the NSW government, led by the Deputy Premier John Barilaro and at least eight members of the governing cabinet were seriously looking at scrapping or considerably relaxing the lock out laws due to the negative impact on businesses and the reputation of Sydney on people seeking to holiday in the city. Keep Sydney Open, which has lobbied against the laws, celebrated the reports on Thursday.“Finally the government is acknowledging the negative impact on businesses and the reputation of our city,” the group said. City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster said she was pleased Mr Barilaro was reportedly onboard to reverse the laws.