GLR
The Australian state where last week’s Bondi Beach shooting occurred plans to ban the phrase “globalise the intifada” as part of a wider crackdown on what officials describe as “hateful” slogans.
New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns has also called for a Royal Commission into the attack, which claimed the lives of 15 people and injured dozens, making it the deadliest shooting in Australia in nearly 30 years.
Authorities believe the two gunmen, who targeted a Jewish festival at Australia’s most iconic beach, were motivated by Islamic State ideology.
Since the attack, both state and federal governments have announced a series of measures aimed at countering extremism. Minns said he would recall the state parliament next week to pass stricter hate speech and gun control laws. He also indicated that protest regulations could be tightened to reduce mass demonstrations in what he described as an effort to promote “a summer of calm.”
The premier confirmed plans to classify the chant “globalise the intifada” as hate speech, following recent arrests in London of two pro-Palestinian protesters for allegedly shouting intifada-related slogans during a demonstration.
The term intifada first entered widespread use during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987. While some interpret the term as a call for violence against Jewish people, others argue it refers to peaceful resistance against occupation.
Earlier this week, Minns and NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane attended the funeral of Matilda, 10, the youngest victim of the Bondi shooting. Minns read a poem in her memory during the service.
Government Response and Gun Buyback Scheme
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a new gun buyback program aimed at purchasing surplus, newly banned, and illegal firearms. Officials predict that hundreds of thousands of guns will be collected and subsequently destroyed.
Tributes to the victims have continued across the country. On Saturday, around 1,000 lifeguards formed an arm-to-arm line facing the ocean at Bondi Beach. Surf lifesaving teams at other beaches across Australia staged similar memorials. Lifeguard Jackson Doolan was celebrated as one of the heroes of the attack, having sprinted from a neighbouring beach carrying a red medical supply bag to assist victims.
Additionally, hundreds of swimmers and surfers paddled out at Bondi Beach to form a giant circle as a tribute to those killed in the shooting.
National Day of Reflection
Australia will observe a national day of reflection on Sunday, marking one week since the attack. The theme will be “light over darkness”, with a minute of silence scheduled for 6:47 pm (0747 GMT). Flags will fly at half-mast, and Australians are encouraged to place candles in their windows to honor the victims.
“Sixty seconds carved out from the noise of daily life, dedicated to 15 Australians who should be with us today,” Prime Minister Albanese said. “It will be a moment of pause to reflect and affirm that hatred and violence will never define us as Australians.”
Bondi’s attack is the worst mass shooting in Australia since Port Arthur in 1996, which left 35 people dead and led then-Prime Minister John Howard to introduce strict gun control measures nationwide.
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