Australia holds national day of remembrance for Bondi Beach victims

Australian Government to Hold Memorial Services for Bondi Beach Shooting Victims

The Australian government will hold memorial services for the victims of the December 14 shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where two gunmen opened fire during a Jewish celebration, killing 15 people. Flags across Australia will be flown at half-staff on Thursday in observance of the event.

Memorial services are scheduled to take place at the Sydney Opera House and Bondi’s Chabad House, a Jewish community centre. The theme of the memorials is “Light will win,” and light installations featuring pillars of light for each of the 15 victims will be staged in Canberra and other cities.

The government has also announced plans to honour those who assisted during or after the attack, including first responders and individuals such as Ahmed al-Ahmed, a local shop owner who wrestled a gun from one of the attackers. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that Bondi Beach is “part of our promise to the world” and a place where everyone can feel welcome.

The Bondi shooting was the deadliest attack of its kind in 30 years, with suspect Sajid Akram, 50, being shot and killed by police during the incident. His son, Naveed, who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders. The Australian parliament has approved tougher gun laws in response to the attack, including a gun buyback scheme and tighter gun licence checks.

A moment of silence will be observed at 7:01 pm Sydney time (08:01 GMT) on Thursday as part of the memorial services.

Source: Al Jazeera