Heavy police presence in Sydney for New Year’s celebrations after Bondi attack

Thousands of heavily armed police officers patrol the streets of Sydney as people celebrate the new year; A rare and stark sight in Australia following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach.

As part of the increased security measures, some police officers were authorized to carry high-quality weapons. The December 14 attack targeted the Jewish community in Australia, killing 15 people during the Hanukkah festival.

New South Wales (NSW) Police said more than 2,500 officers would be on duty across the city.

Official New Year’s Eve parties were suspended for a minute’s silence at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) to commemorate the victims of the attack, while the Sydney Harbor Bridge was illuminated with a white light symbolizing peace.

Images of Sydney Harbour, where large crowds gather each year to watch the city’s famous fireworks display, show police officers patrolling the crowds with long-armed weapons.

Ahead of the event, Prime Minister Chris Minns warned some people might find the sight of police “carrying firearms and weapons like you’ve never seen before” “confronting”.

“But I don’t make any apologies for that. We want people to be safe in our community,” he added.

British tourists Joe and Lucy said the increased police presence gave them confidence.

The duo, who planned their trip to Australia to coincide with the fireworks display, were in Melbourne when the attack occurred.

“We had concerns about coming for New Year’s Eve, but we were reading in the news recently… how much more police would be here, that would be a bit safer,” Joe told the BBC.

Separately, Minns urged people to take the “challenge” and celebrate the new year as he urged Sydneysiders not to let the “appalling criminal terrorist incident” in Bondi change their way of life.

This sentiment was shared by some viewers.

Among the crowd at Barangaroo Observatory Hill, a spot close to the Sydney Harbor Bridge, was Hélène from Belgium.

Following the attack, he told the BBC that people “cannot live in fear”.

Many official viewing areas filled by early evening as hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the port with hours to count down.

Sailing boats were on the water in the harbor, which was one of the best spots to watch the fireworks show at midnight.

Sydney’s celebration with its iconic fireworks display kicks off a series of events from Dubai to London and New York.

Additional reporting by Harry Sekulich