Cops ramp up firepower amid calls to celebrate new year
Sydneysiders are being warned to expect heavily armed police on New Year’s Eve as the Prime Minister heralds a strong security response to the Bondi terror attack.
Two weeks after an anti-Semitic attack left 15 dead, NSW Premier Chris Minns is urging residents to get out in groups to support local businesses and ring in the new year.
“What they want from us, because of the strange ideology of some of these terrorists, is to get into a ball this Christmas period and not have fun with our family and friends,” he told reporters in Bondi after visiting a local cafe on Sunday.
“So I’m calling on the people of Sydney to step out, do what you would normally do, turn your nose up at terrorists.”
Police will carry long-armed firearms on New Year’s Eve as the city continues its traditional fireworks display.
“This is going to be challenging for some people,” Mr. Minns said.
“I’ve spoken to many parents and they would feel much more comfortable if there was a heavy police presence. This includes the firepower needed to confront some evil terrorists on a bridge in Bondi if these circumstances were to repeat.”
Similar calls were made for people to celebrate the new year in Queensland, where authorities said there was no intelligence to suggest the risk level had increased.
“We hope people enjoy New Year’s Eve, as they always do, and our police will be on duty to make sure people are as safe as possible,” Police Minister Dan Purdie said.
Mr. Minns revealed that discussions were taking place about the potential deployment of the army to protect Jewish institutions, but said he did not want to give details in advance.
“We have a huge challenge ahead of us to rebuild Jewish life in Sydney, so I’m not taking anything off the table,” he said.
He also pointed out that the Community Safety Group, which is run by volunteers and support staff, could potentially be weaponized to maintain a visible presence at synagogues, Jewish events and institutions.
Winds and intermittent rain weren’t enough to keep some away from Bondi on Sunday, but the beach was less crowded than a usual Sydney summer day.
There was also a greater police presence; Small monuments and flowers remain throughout the bridge where the attackers used to attack and the park where people were killed.
On the steps of the bridge, members of the Jewish community were also offering tefillin, a pair of small black leather boxes and straps containing Torah verses wrapped around the person praying.
The NSW government has introduced a range of new measures following the terror attack, including a crackdown on hate speech and firearms restrictions.
A ban on certain types of protests has been introduced for the first time since terrorist incidents were declared, and public gatherings have been restricted in parts of Sydney for 14 days.
Mr Minns said he would have more to say about a possible extension of the appointment, which could be valid for up to three months.
He rejected criticism from former Supreme Court justice Anthony Whealy, who said the protests risked worsening antisemitism because they provided a pressure valve for people opposing Israel’s war in Gaza.
“I think what this actually does is it adds to the slippery slope of inflammatory rhetoric, and as that situation unfolds, it becomes more prevalent,” the Prime Minister said.
Pro-Palestinian marchers categorically rejected any support for anti-Semitism and maintained that they were protesting human rights violations in Gaza and Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
Mr Minns also vowed to destroy hate preachers, saying their previous behavior would be looked into.
“There is no statute of limitations on racist and anti-Semitic behavior, and if you preach that kind of hatred in our society then you can expect to be confronted,” he said.
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