Originally posted on Instagram and Facebook on Monday 15 December
Our hearts go out to all those impacted by the violence at Bondi beach yesterday evening. To those who have lost loved ones, who are caring for the injured, and those who witnessed and helped others in the wake of the attack - you are in our thoughts.
The targeting of a Jewish event held for the first night of Hanukkah is abhorrent. This was meant to be a night of celebration and gathering with loved ones for the Jewish festival of light and hope. It has been turned into a devastating event that has rocked the Jewish community and further entrenched the fear that has been recently felt with rising far-right rallies and materials using Nazi rhetoric.
Antisemitism should have no place at all in our society, and everyone should be free to live without fear and to practice their religion and culture. This act of terrorism must be condemned and called out for what it is. To stamp out such hatred, we must stand together against racism at every turn. We must interrogate the hatred and loose gun laws that allowed this tragedy to happen, and that requires being united.
This was the worst mass shooting event in so-called ‘Australia’ since the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre. This weekend’s attack also came in the days following the 20th anniversary of the Cronulla race riots, and serves as a reminder of the persistent hatred and division plaguing our society that we must face and combat. This is, unfortunately, not an exceptional event in a country established through violence and which is once again seeing fluctuations of hatred and racism that our leaders have largely ignored.
This is also an evolving and complex case, as stated by the NSW Police and Government last night. We urge everyone to take the advice to stay calm, that it is not a time for retribution, and to respect victims and their families by not sharing graphic images, videos, or rumours from the attack. This moment requires deep compassion, care and support for the affected communities.
We recognise the bravery of those who risked their lives to stop this attack from taking even more lives. Ahmed al Ahmed tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen, despite being shot twice in the process. A lifeguard went back into the surf to rescue a man who froze out of fear and could not return to the shore. Bystanders treated the wounded before emergency services could arrive, giving victims a fighting chance in the hospital.
As has already been seen online, anger and hurt about this attack should not be used to scapegoat and attack parts of our broader community. It is all too common for events like this to lead to attacks on people of colour and on immigrants, or those who seem to fit certain stereotypes. Using the deaths of innocent people to justify ongoing campaigns of xenophobia and Islamophobia is an offence to those impacted by this attack.
There is a healing vigil being hosted this evening by Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, The Remembering - The Coming Together, on Bidiagal, Birrabirragal & Gadigal Lands (Bondi Beach) at 5:30pm.
During such difficult times we are here to support our members and any student that is impacted in any way they require. If you are a student you can access free and confidential counseling and wellbeing support 24/7 with Student Wellbeing by visiting the health and wellbeing webpage. 24-hour support is also available from Lifeline via text, online chat, or by calling 13 11 14. We hope that you are looking after yourselves while supporting your peers and community at this time.