SYDNEY, DEC 21: Millions of Australians will light candles and observe a minute’s silence on Sunday, a week after a pair of gunmen fired into crowds at a Jewish festival on Sydney’s most famous beach and killed 15 people.
A father and son are accused of targeting the family-thronged Hanukkah festival at Bondi Beach, striking on a sunny day at a tourism hotspot that is emblematic of Australians’ ocean-loving lifestyle.
Authorities say the attack, one of the deadliest in Australian history, was inspired by “Islamic State ideology”.
Exactly a week after the first reports of gunfire at 6:47 pm (0747 GMT), Australians will fall silent for a minute on a national day of reflection with the theme “light over darkness”.
Flags flew at half-mast across the nation, including over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
People are being asked to light a candle in their windows in the evening to honour the victims and stand by the Jewish community, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on the eve of the memorial.
“Sixty seconds carved out from the noise of daily life, dedicated to 15 Australians who should be with us today,” said the prime minister, who will join commemorations at Bondi Beach.
“It will be a moment of pause to reflect and affirm that hatred and violence will never define us as Australians.”
Federal and state authorities are also in talks with Jewish community leaders about establishing a permanent memorial at Bondi Beach, as well as holding a national day of mourning in the new year.
– Grappling with a gunman –
Many people have already marked the attack with unofficial acts of remembrance.
Hundreds of swimmers and surfers paddled out at Bondi Beach on Friday to join in a huge circle as they splashed the water and roared with emotion.
On Saturday, surf lifesavers lined the shore of Bondi Beach and fell silent in memory of the dead, some crying or hugging each other in a ceremony mirrored by other ocean rescuers around the country.
Gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the December 14 assault. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.
His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who survived and remains in hospital under police guard, is facing charges including terrorism and 15 murders.
The mass shooting has sparked national soul-searching about antisemitism, anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm, and promises to stiffen laws and penalties against hatred, extremists, and gun ownership.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said he would open an independent Royal Commission investigation into the shooting.
Asked on Sunday if the attack could have been avoided, he said: “I don’t know. I mean, it’s something that I stay up at night wondering about and worrying about.”
The Australian government has announced a suite of national measures to crack down on gun ownership and hate speech, promising stricter federal laws and harsher penalties.
The state of New South Wales says it plans to ban “hateful” slogans including “Globalise the Intifada” and symbols such as Islamic State group flags.
