Australia to hold day of mourning for Bondi shooting victims on Jan 22
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The Bondi beach mass shooting has sparked national soul-searching about anti-Semitism.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SYDNEY – Australia will hold a national day of mourning on Jan 22 for the 15 people killed in a mass shooting at Bondi Beach
“This will have a theme of ‘light will win’,” Mr Albanese told reporters on Jan 13, with flags to fly at half-mast across Australia.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed allegedly targeted a Jewish Hannukah celebration at the famous beach
The attack has sparked national soul-searching about anti-Semitism, anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm, and promises to stiffen gun laws.
Mr Albanese said the “gathering of unity and remembrance” had been decided in consultation with Jewish community leaders.
“This gathering creates space to honour those who were lost, acknowledge those who were injured, and stand with their families and loved ones,” said the Chabad of Bondi, which organised the Dec 14 festival.
“It is a moment to pause together, express care and solidarity, and reaffirm the values of compassion and faith that carry us forward.”
Mr Albanese last week bowed to public pressure to hold a high-powered commission of inquiry
The federal royal commission – the highest level of government inquiry – will probe everything from intelligence failures to the prevalence of anti-Semitism in Australia.
Victims’ families penned an open letter in December urging Mr Albanese to hold a royal commission.
“We demand answers and solutions,” they wrote.
“We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how anti-Semitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward.”
Gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the assault. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.
His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders
Police and intelligence agencies are facing difficult questions about whether they could have acted earlier.
Naveed Akram was flagged by Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019, but he slipped off the radar after the agency decided that he posed no imminent threat.
Australia is cracking down on gun ownership and hate speech following the attack.
In December, the government announced a sweeping buyback scheme to “get guns off our streets”. It is the largest gun buyback since 1996, when Australia tightened firearms laws following a mass shooting that killed 35 people at Port Arthur. AFP
