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Thousands of revelers gathered at Sydney’Say goodbye to 2025 and see top attractions on display fireworks, Australia still on edge after Bundy incident fear attack.
More than 2,500 uniformed and plainclothes police officers were deployed on patrol, some carrying long-armed firearms – a rarity in Sydney.
Community tensions have been high in Australia since the incident Resulting in 15 deaths and dozens of injuries when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of more than 1,000 people celebrating the Jewish holiday Hanukkah December 14 Bondi Archers Park.
The defendant, Naveed Akram, faces 59 charges while his father, Sajid, was shot dead by police at the scene.
New South Wales Premier Chris Mings called on people to attend Sydney Harbor’s traditional fireworks display to “turn their noses up at terrorists and their ideology”.
“We need to show resistance in the face of this evil and the best way to do that is to spend New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbor with friends and family,” he said in a statement.
He added: “This New Year’s Eve, families will see a different type of policing. NSW Police are not normally equipped with long-arm guns.
“This is a clear and thoughtful message from police that safety is the number one priority and they will be acutely aware and vigilant of any threats affecting people across the state.”
More than a million revelers gather on the waterfront every year to watch the world-famous fireworks display centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Mr Minns said he feared any reduction in crowd numbers would be seen as a victory by extremists.
The prime minister added that the state was not adopting a more militarized police force in response to the attacks; however, high-visibility policing was to make people feel safer.
“Given that last month we just experienced the worst terrorism incident in Australia’s history, it goes without saying that things need to change and security needs to change,” Mr Mings said.
“I know there will be some who are opposed to this, or who see it as a militarization of the police. My feeling is that more families would fully support this kind of police action because they would feel safer in that environment,” Mr Minns added.
Sydney Mayor Clover Moore said a minute’s silence will be observed at 11pm on New Year’s Eve and an image of a menorah will be projected on the pylons of the Sydney Harbor Bridge to commemorate the victims of the attack.
Local government authorities had originally planned to project an image of a dove with the word “peace” but changed that plan after consultations with Jewish representatives.
“I continue to listen to the community to ensure the horrific attack at Bondi Beach is acknowledged. Lunar New Year’s eve is appropriate,” Mr Moore said in a statement.