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.
Zaky Mallah
On December 15, 2014, Man Haron Monis took hostage the staff and patrons of a Sydney coffee shop. He had a list of demands which included a demand for a flag of ISIS.
An article in the "Daily Mail"s Australian edition characterized Mallah as a "one time terror accused" described how Australian security officials sought Mallah to see if he could help them by supplying them with the ISIS flag. Mallah does not own an ISIS flag.