Frenchman who confronted Sydney knifeman offered Australian citizenship

Sydney:

Australia’s prime minister said on Tuesday that a visiting Frenchman who heroically fought off a knife-wielding Sydney shopping center attacker with just a bollard could be granted citizenship.

Damian Guerrot has been called a “bollard man” and “hero” in Saturday’s attack that left six people dead and more than a dozen injured.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese singled out Guerro for praise on Tuesday, thanking him for his “extraordinary bravery” in confronting Joel Couch on an escalator and preventing the 40-year-old attacker from reaching more victims.

In 2018, a brave man used a shopping cart to stop a terrorist attack on Melbourne’s Bourke Street. In 2024, this is a brave one with bollards. I can think of better tools to stop mass stabbings. pic.twitter.com/n1pAk4bHyb

— Daniel (@VoteLewko) April 13, 2024

“I said to Damien Guerrot, who was processing the visa application, you are welcome here and you are welcome to stay as long as you want,” Albanese said.

“We welcome him as an Australian citizen, although this is of course a loss for France. We thank him for his extraordinary bravery.”

“It speaks volumes about the nature of humanity when we are faced with difficult issues that a person who is not a citizen of this country bravely stood at the top of an escalator, preventing the perpetrator from entering another floor and potentially causing further massacre of citizens. ,” Albanese said.

Australians were shocked by Saturday’s attack at a busy shopping mall in the city’s eastern suburbs.

Five women and a Pakistani security guard were killed in the rampage, which has not been blamed on terrorism.

Police are investigating whether Couch, who has a history of mental illness, specifically targeted women.

But the Australians and Albanians were helped by strangers during the attack, and by brave policewoman Amy Scott, who, acting alone, found Couch and shot him dead.

“I think that while we saw such a devastating tragedy on Saturday, we also saw the best in humanity,” Albanese said.

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