Bsharri Riots

The Bsharri Riots were a series of violent clashes across Australia following the arrest of Dominion League leader Bsharri. The riots occurred as part of the wider political turmoil of the April 2018 Election.

Dominion Party
In the lead-up to April's election, a group of Western Australian separatists formed the Dominion League, calling for the independence of Western Australia. The party conducted a series of online propaganda campaigns and street protests, inflaming political tensions across the country.

The ABC Interview
Bsharri appeared on the ABC as part of an Election Eve special, invited to discuss the electoral predictions of Youmaton, as well as issues of the campaign. The interview turned sour quickly, Bsharri accusing the panel of being "Eastern Devils." With the rhetoric quickly devolving into calls for an armed struggle, the Australian Federal Police soon arrested Bsharri.

Following the arrest, the Bsharri Twatter account tweeted "WESTRALIANS! Find a BAT. Or a BRICK. Or a KNIFE. And take to the streets. If the East will not give us our freedom then we MUST fight for it." The call was answered by supporters around the country, leading to the riots.

Perth
In Perth, a strong base of Dominion support, the situation was already at a fever pitch due to constant

Dominion rallies and protests. The tweet and arrest effectively lit a powderkeg, with rioting on nearly every city block.

Rest of Australia
Due to a lack of support in the East, violence was mostly limited to Western Australians who were interstate at the time. One notable incident was the Battle of the Bar, or Nar Nar Goon Pub Incident, involving an attempted attack on ABC Reporter Shitpost Goddess.

Aftermath
While the riots were still raging, the Australian Federal Police officially declared the Dominion League a terror threat, opening an investigation into the party and it's leadership. Preview

With the riots occurring on Election Eve, there was much speculation over how they would affect the Dominion League's election chances. On the 8th of April, it was announced that Dominion had won two seats (Durack and Maranoa). Dominion had no competition in Durack, confirming their win before the election began, and Maranoa was between Dominion and RACE, in which the voters chose Dominion. Later on that evening, the April Revolution took place, thereby nullifying all results.