Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there would be special national bravery awards to recognise prompt response by civilians and first responders who confronted “the worst of evil” during a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14 that left 15 dead.
Albanese said he plans to establish a ‘special honors system’ for those who placed themselves in harm’s way to help during the attack on a beachside Hanukkah celebration, such as Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-Australian Muslim who disarmed one of the assailants before being wounded himself.
The proposed honours would recognise those who are nominated and recommended for bravery or meritorious awards under the existing Australian Honors and Awards system for their actions during and after the attack.
Speaking at a press conference after a Christmas Day lunch at a charitable foundation in Sydney, Albanese reflected on a Christmas and holiday season that’s rather somber this year, defined by a sharp contrast between extremist violence and the “best of humanity”.
“This Christmas is a different one because of the anti-terror and the terrorist attack motivated by ISIS and antisemitism,” he said, adding, “But at the same time as we have seen the worst of humanity, we have seen the bravery and kindness and compassion ... from those who rushed to danger.”
Also Read: Australian lawmakers pass tougher gun, protest laws
Since the attack, which was carried out by Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead by police on the day of the incident, and his son, Naveed Akram, 24, who has been slapped with 59 counts of terror, Australia’s New South Wales legislature passed a bill to toughen the country’s already-strict gun laws.
The reforms include capping individual gun ownership at four and reclassifying high-risk weapons like pump-action firearms. It also tightens licensing by reducing permit terms to two years, restricting ownership to Australian citizens, and removing the review pathway for license denials.
New South Wales state leader, Chris Minns, urged Australians to support their Jewish neighbors during what he described as a fortnight of “heartbreak and pain.”
“Everybody in Australia needs to wrap their arms around them and lift them up,” Minns said at the same press conference on Thursday. “I want them to know that Australians have got their back. We’re in their corner and we’re going to help them get through this.”
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