REGULAR patrols resumed at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Saturday as around 1,000 volunteer and professional surf lifesavers returned to duty, six days after a mass shooting nearby killed 15 people and wounded dozens during a Hanukkah celebration.
The attack, the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in almost three decades, is being investigated as an act of terrorism aimed at the Jewish community. Authorities have since increased policing and patrols across the country amid fears of further violence.
Reuters reported today surf lifesavers, wearing their distinctive red and yellow uniforms, gathered on the sand on Saturday morning to observe two minutes of silence in memory of the victims, according to a spokesperson for Surf Life Saving Australia.
Peter Agnew, the organisation’s president, said the tribute was intended to honour both the victims and the wider community.
“It was out of respect to the Jewish community and also to support each other this morning,” he said in televised remarks.
On Friday, members of Australia’s Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers formed a large circle in the ocean off the famous shoreline as a show of solidarity with those killed.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also attended a commemorative event at the Great Synagogue in Sydney on Friday, where he reaffirmed national unity against hate.
“All Australians stand together against antisemitism and hatred,” Albanese wrote on social media platform X.
The prime minister has come under criticism from opponents who argue that his centre-left government has not done enough to stem a rise in antisemitism since the outbreak of the Gaza war. Albanese has said the government will move to strengthen hate laws in response to the massacre.
Both the federal government and the New South Wales state government have pledged a series of reforms, including tighter gun control measures.
Police said the alleged gunman, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead at the scene. His son, Naveed Akram, 24, who was also shot by police and emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon, has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism.
Investigators believe the father and son were inspired by the militant Sunni Muslim group Islamic State. - December 20, 2025
