More than 1,000 people gathered at Bondi Pavilion on Tuesday night to mourn the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack, with focus on 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest of the 15 people killed.
Key Takeaways
- More than 1,000 people gathered at Bondi Pavilion on Tuesday night to mourn victims of the Bondi beach terror attack.
- The vigil centred on 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest of the 15 people killed.
- Matilda’s parents, who migrated to Australia from Ukraine, addressed the crowd and asked people to remember her name.
- The death toll from the attack remains at 15, with dozens more injured.
- NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state’s response will focus on counterterrorism, combating antisemitism, gun law reform and community healing.
- Minns confirmed NSW will introduce significantly tougher gun laws, aiming for the toughest in Australia.
- More than 50,000 blood donation appointments have been booked across NSW, a fivefold increase since the attack.
- Minns said trauma victims may require up to 100 individual blood donations and urged people to keep booking appointments.
- NSW Police have increased security under Operation Shelter, with static and mobile patrols at Jewish sites.
- Small business support for the Bondi area will be announced within 24 hours due to disruption caused by the investigation.
- So far, more than $2.3 million has been raised in a single GoFundMe account for the hero bystander Ahmed al Ahmed who disarmed one of the gunmen.
Crucial Quote
“We came here from the Ukraine … and I named her Matilda because she was our firstborn in Australia. And I thought that Matilda was the most Australian name that could ever exist,” Matilda’s father Michael said.
“So just remember – remember her name.”
Big Number
50,000: The number of blood donation appointments booked in NSW since the attack.
Key Background
The Bondi beach terror attack unfolded on Sunday night during a public Hanukkah celebration, when gunfire broke out near the Bondi Pavilion, killing 15 innocent people and injuring dozens more.
The attack triggered a large-scale police response, lockdowns across Sydney’s eastern suburbs and an immediate counterterrorism investigation involving NSW Police, the AFP and ASIO.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would later confirm the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack.
In the days following the attack, a large crowd gathered at Bondi Pavilion on Tuesday night to mourn the victims of Sunday’s Bondi beach terror attack, with grief centring on 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest of the 15 people killed.
As dusk fell, mourners stood in silence before Matilda’s parents, Valentyna and Michael, briefly addressed the crowd. The couple migrated to Australia from Ukraine before the Russian invasion. Speaking through tears, Matilda’s father explained why they chose her name, asking those gathered to remember her.
The crowd later grew to more than 2,000 as religious and community leaders read the names of victims identified so far. Additional victims were formally identified in the hours following the vigil.
Earlier on Tuesday, NSW Premier Chris Minns said the government’s response to the attack would be multifaceted, focusing on counterterrorism efforts, combating antisemitism, strengthening gun laws and supporting community healing.
Minns confirmed NSW will introduce significantly tougher gun laws, saying he is determined to bring in the toughest gun laws in the country. He also defended police actions during the attack, saying officers engaged the gunmen despite being outgunned and put their lives on the line to save others.
The Premier also highlighted a surge in blood donations, with more than 50,000 appointments booked across NSW since the attack, a fivefold increase.
He urged people not to give up if they could not donate immediately, noting trauma patients may require up to 100 individual blood donations to survive.
Meanwhile, NSW Police have increased security across Sydney’s eastern suburbs under Operation Shelter, with static and mobile patrols deployed at Jewish places of worship and community sites.
The Emanuel Synagogue in Woollahra is among those with increased security.
Investigations into the attack remain ongoing, with police continuing forensic, ballistic and counterterrorism inquiries.
ABC also reports the surviving gunman has awoken from his coma and is still under police guard.
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