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.
Media in Sydney
Sydney is Australia’s centre for film and media. Many of the landmarks in Sydney have been referenced, shown and the setting for countless films and television programs. Sydney also has a wide amount of references to films that have been set in the city, the most famous being Finding Nemo, which was set in the famous Sydney Harbour. The emerging suburb of Parramatta in Sydney, recently played host to Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson film premiere You, Me and Dupree. All films premiere in Sydney and only in very few cases in other Australian cities. Film in Sydney has been criticized for attracting major and international productions only and neglecting local productions, which are usually filmed in other Australian cities. Compared to other Australian cities, Sydney's film industry is highly commercial and only Gold Coast has a commercial film industry slightly similar to Sydney's.