Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced jeers and boos from mourners at a memorial vigil Sunday honoring victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack that claimed 15 lives one week earlier.
Tens of thousands gathered at the iconic Sydney beach for a national day of reflection, with security personnel including snipers, armed officers, and marine patrols standing guard. Television and radio networks observed a minute of silence at 6:47 p.m., marking exactly one week since the gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration.
Albanese, wearing a kippah, was greeted with shouts of “shame” and “blood on your hands” as he arrived, and was booed again when speakers acknowledged his presence. The hostile reception reflects mounting criticism that his government has failed to adequately address rising antisemitism following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In stark contrast, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns received enthusiastic applause from the crowd. Minns praised attendees for returning to Bondi just seven days after the tragedy, telling them they had reclaimed the beach for all Australians.
The ceremony featured emotional speeches from survivors. Fourteen-year-old Chaya Dadon encouraged the nation to persevere through adversity, while David Ossip, president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, read a message from Ahmed al Ahmed, the Syrian-Australian shopkeeper hailed as the “Bondi Hero” for disarming one of the attackers.
Albanese has commissioned a comprehensive review of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, to be completed by April, and announced a national gun buyback program to address loopholes in Australia’s gun laws.
The attack, which authorities are investigating as Islamic State-inspired terrorism, was allegedly carried out by Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50. The father was killed by police at the scene, while the son faces 59 charges including murder and terrorism after emerging from a coma.
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