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Australia is considering using the military to protect Jewish sites and deploying armed police to Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations after the Bondi terror attack.
New South Wales Premier Chris Mings said on Sunday he would not rule out seeking support from the Australian Defense Force to protect Jewish sites in the state, calling it a significant shift but one under discussion in light of the attacks.
“We’re discussing it. I’m not prepared to pre-empt it because obviously it’s a change for us,” the prime minister said. “But I’m just expressing my displeasure. I’m not ruling anything out.”
Mr Minns said existing security arrangements failed to prevent the Bundy attack, stressing the need for a wider review.
“As historical tragedies have shown, while police are on the scene, they are clearly not adequate to deal with the threat,” he said, adding that the royal commission would examine intelligence sharing, policing responses and the protection of vulnerable communities.
In an immediate change, Mr Mings confirmed police would deploy long-armed firearms during Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“We don’t normally see long guns on the streets of Sydney but NSW Police will have them and that will be a challenge for some people,” he said. He believed the presence of long guns was necessary to reassure the public after the attack.
The Prime Minister said his government was “actively” considering whether community security teams that provide security for Jewish events should be armed.
“This is a step we have not taken in the past,” Mr Mings said, adding that authorities needed to demonstrate security measures capable of responding to serious threats.
this Bundy raid Saw it earlier this month Father and son open fire jewish holiday crowds, Resulting in 15 deaths and at least 40 injuries. Police said the attack was Religiously motivated extremism ‘aligned with ISIS’.
The father was shot dead on the spot by the police during the incident. The son was arrested and later remanded in custody Detained on 59 charges, including one count of committing a terrorist act. Investigators are looking into how the pair carried out the daytime attack despite existing security measures at the event.
After the attack, Mr Mings announced a NSW royal commission, which he said would examine potential intelligence failures, police resources and whether security risk warnings were adequately assessed before the incident.
Security was already heightened at a vigil held last Sunday to mark a week after the attack, which also happened to be the last night of Hanukkah. Police deployed officers with long-armed firearms and snipers on rooftops overlooking Bondi.
Asked about concerns that heavily armed police might unsettle the public, Minns said many residents support an increased visible security presence.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of parents who would feel much more comfortable if there was a large police presence,” the Prime Minister said. Such a security presence would include “the firepower needed to confront some evil terrorists on a bridge in Bondi if this happened again”.