Bystanders have been posting selfies of themselves near the Sydney siege while some others are reportedly settling in with beers as the hostage crisis unfolds.
While police enforce an exclusion zone around the Martin Place district where the hostage siege is still playing out in the Lindt Cafe, onlookers have posted pictures of themselves on Twitter.
The smiles, aargh !! “@nycjim: Bystanders taking selfies at scene of Sydney hostage siege pic.twitter.com/bgULXQgJss”
— Puja Mehra (@pujamehra) December 15, 2014
One Twitter user took a photo of the people taking selfies, posting it to the social media website with the comment: “What the hell is wrong with people?”
What the hell is wrong with people? “Taking selfies 100m from the Lindt Cafe #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/R7mNZCeSOD”
— Matthew Henman (@JTICMattHenman) December 15, 2014
Meanwhile, an ABC reporter on the scene has said that there are people who have gathered on the streets near Martin Place, some with beers, to observe the ongoing situation.
The crisis is trending worldwide on Twitter with the hashtags #SydneySiege, #MartinPlaceSiege and #PrayForAustralia
Five hostages are confirmed to so far be free from the Sydney siege.