Tearful Australians mourn hostages killed in siege

Tearful Sydney office workers and Muslim women in hijabs laid flowers Tuesday at the scene of a deadly siege, as an outpouring of grief and shock gripped the usually easy-going harbour city.
     
Nearby florist kiosks struggled to keep up with demand as well-wishers created a sea of bouquets in an impromptu memorial at Martin Place, the city square where the 16-hour drama unfolded.
      
"Just the fact that something like this has never happened before in Australia, and it just makes you feel so sad," said Tom Harris, who works on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as he approached with a large bouquet.
      
"And I just feel so sad and just feel sorry for the poor people, especially at Christmas time."  
    
Emotions were raw as Australia dealt with the news that the Lindt chocolate cafe had been stormed in the early hours by heavily armed police, ending the siege in the heart of Sydney's financial district.
      
Most of the hostages escaped but the cafe manager, 34, and a 38-year-old mother-of-three lay dead while six more people were injured, including three women with gunshot wounds.
     
The attack staged by Iranian-born Islamist gunman Man Haron Monis, who also died, rocked the country. Sydney tabloid The Daily Telegraph conveyed the national mood with its front-page headline: "Evil Strikes Our Heart".
      
Social media was flooded with expressions of fear and dismay, and pictures of the distinctive city harbour and skyline emblazoned with the hashtag #prayforSydney.
      
"I will ride with you", read one note attached to a hand-picked bouquet in Martin Place, referring to the campaign for solidarity with the Muslim community that has seen tens of thousands tweet the hashtag ...