Angry crowds have singled out and bashed people of middle eastern appearance at Sydney's Cronulla beach as racial tension erupted into violence.
And an ambulance called to the scene to treat five people injured in Sunday's violence has been attacked by a mob who shattered its windows.
Meanwhile, police have been pelted with beer bottles, and their patrol cars stomped on, as the outnumbered officers struggled to maintain control.
Witnesses saw officers using capsicum spray in a bid to quell those perpetrating the violence.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Goodwin said police were forcing their way through the crowd, trying to prevent further attacks.
He said a number of people had been assaulted but could not say exactly how many. However, an ambulance spokesman said at least five people had been injured.
It was those people the ambulance was trying to reach when it was attacked.
"An ambulance attempting to transport five injured people from the scene was set upon by a large group of people who smashed its windows," an ambulance spokesman said.
Goodwin said the violence was disgusting.
"What has been occurring on some fronts is that people of middle eastern backgrounds that have been seen in the Cronulla area - a swarm of the crowd has approached these people with vile abuse, in the most un-Australian way," Goodwin said.
"We have a number of reports of persons that have been assaulted."
He said the bulk of the crowd had behaved but pockets of violence had broken out.
"... we have sections of the crowd that have swollen towards young Arabic males and females, who have been using this beach."
Three people have been arrested so far, with more arrests expected.
Earlier on Sunday, police rushed to Cronulla train station where a mob ran there from the foreshore after receiving a text message saying a group of Lebanese people were trying to leave.
Goodwin said the text message was wrong, but sparked a scuffle at the station between the crowd and police.
"The behaviour that's been seen down here at Cronulla today is nothing short of disgusting and disgraceful," he told reporters at the beach.
"It's certainly not the Australian way.
He appealed for calm in the beachside suburb in Sydney's south.
"These people are from an area that is a peaceful suburb ... and what they are doing to their area at the moment, fuelled by people from other areas as well, is nothing short of disgraceful."
Earlier, a police spokeswoman said two men, aged 32 and 20, had been charged with offensive behaviour.
A third man had been arrested and was expected to be charged with assault, she said.
It was not clear if any of the arrests related to earlier witness reports of at least three men being pursued and attacked as they tried to get away from angry members of the crowd chasing them on foot.
At least two of the men took refuge at Northies Pub, where police gathered to protect them.
Roads were closed down as the violence flared, with mounted police trying to maintain control lines as a police chopper hovered over the beach.
Some bars and shops along the beach have temporarily closed. Others have bouncers stationed at the door, blocking anyone from going inside.
