Australia holds minute’s silence one week after Bondi Beach attack as Albanese orders security review
SYDNEY — Australia paused for a minute of silence at 6:47 p.m. Saturday to mark one week since a gun attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach killed 15 people and wounded dozens during a seaside Hanukkah celebration, prompting a national day of reflection and a sweeping security response.
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With flags at half-staff on government buildings and police presence intensified along the coast, authorities invited Australians to light candles — coinciding with the eighth and final night of Hanukkah — “as a quiet act of remembrance with family, friends or loved ones.”
Investigators are treating the shooting as an act of terrorism targeting Jewish people. Police said the suspected gunmen were a father and son. The elder, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead by officers at the scene. His 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was wounded by police fire, emerged from a coma on Tuesday and has been charged with 59 offenses, including murder and terrorism. He remains under guard in a hospital. Authorities say flags linked to the Islamic State group were located in a vehicle associated with the pair and believe they were inspired by the militant Sunni organization.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, under mounting pressure to curb a surge in antisemitic incidents since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, announced a review of Australia’s federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The assessment — to be led by a former chief of the country’s spy service — will examine whether agencies have the “right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe,” and is due to report by the end of April.
“The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation. Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond,” Albanese said in a statement.
The government has also unveiled a nationwide gun buyback, after the attack exposed gaps in gun-license assessments and information sharing between agencies. While Australia’s firearms laws are among the world’s strictest, gun safety experts say loopholes persist and need to be closed. Authorities have increased patrols and policing across major cities to deter further antisemitic violence.
Saturday’s remembrance came amid tensions in Sydney and Melbourne. Albanese condemned anti-immigration rallies planned in the cities, saying organizers were seeking to sow division “in the aftermath of last Sunday’s antisemitic terrorist attack,” and urged people not to attend. By mid-afternoon, about 50 people had gathered at the Sydney event, according to a Reuters witness.
In a separate move, the New South Wales government said it will introduce legislation on Monday to prohibit the display of symbols and flags of proscribed “terrorist organisations,” including Islamic State, Hamas, al-Qaeda, Al Shabaab, Boko Haram and Hezbollah. NSW officials said the planned bill responds directly to public safety concerns following the Bondi attack.
The minute of silence at the exact time the shooting began offered a stark, citywide pause — surf quieting, beachside promenades still — before the soft glow of candles lit in homes, synagogues and community gatherings. The commemoration underscored the grief of families mourning 15 lives cut short and the resolve of authorities facing a shifting security landscape.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
