Albanese launches intelligence review; Barnaby Joyce to attend anti-immigration rally; day of reflection under way
The footbridge at Bondi Beach, where gunmen terrorized almost a week ago, has been turned into a makeshift shrine. Flowers are placed on one side of the bridge, beneath a chalk drawing of a menorah, an Australian flag and a bee, a reference to Matilda, the middle name of Matilda, the 10-year-old girl killed in the attack.
There is a sign on the bridge stating that it is the site of a terrible tragedy for local people.
Flowers were given as gifts at the scene of the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach last Sunday. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
“Please be respectful and think of others as you pass by,” the message reads. Just below the sign is another homemade inscription: “Replace anger with beauty.” There is another opponent who says, “Replace hate with love.”
Near the footbridge, a group of men from Chabad Bondi hand out donuts in homage to the temple’s Hanukkah butter tradition. Nearby, two women dressed as bumblebees are collecting money for the families of two deceased rabbis.
One of the women is Rivky Shuchat, founder of the nonprofit organization Jewish Education Matters. She attended the event last week dressed as a spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side, leaving just minutes before the shoot to brighten up another Hanukkah event with her costume. He knew both rabbis personally. “Their children are in my children’s class,” he says. “I just want to help them.
“We stand here in memory of Matilda, we ask people if they want to do a favor, to put a smile on the faces of the children of the rabbis who were killed here a week ago. We cannot bring their father back, but what we can do is give them financial support.”
Standing next to the bridge, he says, “it’s very painful, but I just have to do good.” “Kindness is so important right now. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.”
It is estimated that there are hundreds of police officers in the area, including a tactical response unit.
There is also a heavy presence of security firm CSG, which is contracted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies to do security work.
