The standoff which took place in a cafe and chocolate shop in the heart of Sydney left three people dead including the gunman, and it has shocked Australia and the world.
So many words spoken by this powerful photograph. #SydneyHostageCrisis #sydneyseige pic.twitter.com/RVEqaXcKDC
— Rose (@loveofmusic_) December 15, 2014
But another crime against humanity took place just outside the danger zone: the sight of people using the siege scene as a backdrop for their selfless while lives still hung in the balance.
https://twitter.com/JTICMattHenman/status/544383649131806722
Cheerful onlookers have been snapping mobile phone “selfless” at the perimeters of the Sydney siege as a still unknown number of hostages remain prisoners of a gunman.
The smiles, aargh !! "@nycjim: Bystanders taking selfies at scene of Sydney hostage siege http://t.co/MngUEOiqKF pic.twitter.com/bgULXQgJss"
— Puja Mehra (@pujamehra) December 15, 2014
Several photos being shared were originally uploaded to Instagram. One man shared a photo with a fire truck in the background and the hashtag #hostagesituationselfie. The photo has since been deleted from his account.
Two young guys have arrived and are swigging from bottles of white wine. This is a hostage situation #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/nwGAIcqt3S
— Mark Di Stefano 🤙🏻 (@MarkDiStef) December 15, 2014
The incidents have caused social media backlash, with many outright bashing people for their insensitivity.
“To the tourists taking selfies outside the Sydney siege- how would you like to be in that cafe?” read one Tweet from a user. “People’s lives are endangered and people are taking selfies in front of the Sydney siege, how disrespectful and idiotic”, read another.
Some people know the appropriate time and place, and some people are just #Self-ish.
