2014 Sydney hostage crisis
After the siege began, a staged exclusion zone was established with thousands of people evacuated from nearby buildings, including from the floors above the café. The Sydney Opera House was evacuated after a suspicious package was found; however, reports were unconfirmed by police. The US Consulate General in Sydney, located in Martin Place, was also evacuated. Some Sydney schools were put in "white level lockout" due to the hostage situation, which meant that no school group was permitted to leave the school grounds.
Occupy Sydney
Occupy Sydney was resurrected on the night of December 13, 2013, following a hiatus of several weeks due to a series of council removals and harassment. This coincided with a Christmas charity event held by activist collective Anonymous at Martin Place. Occupy Sydney's services providing 24-hour help to the homeless was also re-established on this date.