SYDNEY – Tens of thousands of people gathered at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach this evening to honor the victims of last Sunday’s terrorist attack. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was met with loud boos from an angry crowd as he arrived at the memorial. The backlash comes as the government faces intense pressure over its handling of rising antisemitism and gaps in national gun laws.
The nation fell silent at 6:47 pm, marking exactly one week since two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah festival, killing 15 people and wounding dozens. Flags flew at half-staff, and across the country, Australians lit candles in a gesture of “light over darkness.”
Despite the tension, the event focused on the bravery of survivors and “Bondi Hero” Ahmed al Ahmed, who wrestled a weapon from one of the attackers. Prime Minister Albanese, who sat in the front row wearing a traditional kippah, earlier announced an urgent review into federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to prevent similar tragedies.
