Bondi Beach attack: Australia to take 'moment to pause and reflect'

Australia volition observe a nationalist time of reflection connected Sunday (December 21), 1 week aft the deadly Bondi Beach wide shooting that killed 15 people, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced connected Friday, arsenic helium urged the state to cull “hatred and violence”.Albanese called connected Australians to airy candles astatine 6:47 p.m. section time, marking the nonstop infinitesimal the onslaught unfolded. “It is simply a infinitesimal to pause, reflect, and affirm that hatred and unit volition ne'er specify who we are arsenic Australians,” helium said.Flags connected New South Wales and Australian authorities buildings volition beryllium flown astatine half-staff, reported CNN.The attack, described arsenic Australia’s worst wide shooting successful astir 3 decades, took spot connected Sunday evening during a beachside Hanukkah celebration. Authorities person said the battle was antisemitic successful nature. Sajid Akram, 50, and his lad Naveed, 24, are accused of carrying retired the shooting. Sajid was killed successful a gunfight with police, portion Naveed survived and has been charged with 15 counts of murder, an enactment of terrorism, and aggregate different offences, according to quality bureau AFP.Albanese said determination was “something incorrect with the licensing laws” that allowed Sajid Akram to legally ain six long-barrelled, high-powered rifles.

He announced a sweeping nationalist weapon buy-back strategy aimed astatine removing recently banned and amerciable firearms from backstage ownership, reported CNN. Calling it the biggest weapon buy-back since 1996, Albanese said hundreds of thousands of weapons were expected to beryllium collected and destroyed. States and territories volition grip postulation and payments, portion national constabulary volition destruct the firearms.The premier curate besides pledged tougher measures to combat antisemitism, including caller powers to people extremist preachers and to cancel oregon garbage visas for radical who dispersed hatred and division.

“It is wide we request to bash much to combat this evil scourge,” Albanese said.Emotional scenes played retired astatine Bondi Beach connected Friday arsenic hundreds of locals swam into the water successful a amusement of solidarity. “They slaughtered guiltless victims… and being portion of my assemblage again brings backmost the light,” information advisor Jason Carr said, arsenic per AFP. Others described the gathering arsenic carrying a “beautiful energy” amid grief and anger.Meanwhile, Sydney remains connected precocious alert. Police said they detained 2 carloads of men pursuing a tip-off astir a imaginable “violent act”, though nary nonstop nexus to the Bondi onslaught has been established.Authorities are besides investigating whether the accused were inspired by the Islamic State group, with Albanese saying quality agencies had identified online ISIS-linked worldly reinforcing that assessment.