Overnight, hundreds of young men blocked an intersection at Harris Park in Western Sydney in a hastily organised protest against violence. The protesters claim they came onto the streets when two young Indian students were harassed earlier in the night. They say the attacks are becoming more frequent and police aren't doing enough to stop them.
ASHLEY HALL: Indian students say they won't stop protesting against racial violence until they feel safe in Australia.
Overnight, hundreds of young men blocked an intersection at Harris Park in Western Sydney in a hastily organised protest against the violence.
The protesters claim they came onto the streets when two young Indian students were harassed earlier in the night.
Before long, they were confronted by 30 police officers and dogs.
The protesters say the attacks are becoming more frequent and police aren't doing enough to stop them.
Di Bain was there. And a warning: her report contains some coarse language.
(Sound of rally)
DI BAIN: It was a spontaneous rally - more vocal than violent.
(Sound of rally)
About 30 officers and police dogs are trying to contain the crowd who claim two Indian men were attacked by a gang earlier in the night.
Student Sumit Purdani tells his version of events.
SUMIT PURDANI: Some other ethnic group was here, and there were around six - five or six - cars. And they attacked a couple of people who were walking from the station.
Then they got assaulted; some other guys got assaulted as well in this particular thing. Then some people came forward to release them, to clear it out and then the police came into position and they have actually arrested a couple of Indians, a couple of them to talk. It is assault.
Whoever tried to clear out the situation, they are the ones that got arrested, so exactly the people what are asking for just to release those people who were actually trying to solve our problem, who are actually trying to clear out the things.
DI BAIN: Twenty-six-year-old Jimit Shah says he was involved in the fight.
JIMIT SHAH: I just come out the station and I just near to my house, and I just see some of the Indians behind me, and suddenly some Lebanese come over there, and just they hit the Indian peoples, and they are my brothers.
DI BAIN: Another student Ajay Kumar says he joined the protest because he too has been the victim of random assaults.
He says the police aren't doing enough to help.
AJAY KUMAR: I never come back home at night time. If I finish my work, I stay there.
Why? Because I know if I come back, someone smash me, someone take my money. I know.
Because I'm not safe here. Because Australian police is s***. Fully s***.
DI BAIN: Anger in the Indian community began after four Indian students were attacked with a screwdriver at a party in Melbourne.
More stories of Indian attacks have emerged since then.
Protests like this one are sparking diplomatic concerns between Australia and India.
Ajay Kumar says his mum's been calling from India worried about his safety in Australia.
AJAY KUMAR: They say, "Are you alright? You alright? How's in Australia now? How's in Sydney now?"
The Australian police is not able; they have to migrate the Indian police all here.
DI BAIN: In the early hours of the morning the mob in Parramatta dispersed.
But many of the students say this won't be the last we'll hear from them.
ASHLEY HALL: Di Bain with that report.
