Massive Police Deployment and New Gun Reforms for Sydney New Year's Eve Following Bondi Beach Attack
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has urged Sydneysiders to attend New Year's Eve events and to defy terrorists amid heightened security measures. For the Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations, police will be deployed in massive numbers, with some officers carrying weapons never before seen in the state.
These increased security measures come in response to the December 14 Bondi Beach attack, which resulted in 15 deaths and over 40 injuries during a Hanukkah celebration. The attack was carried out by a father and son, Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram; Sajid was killed by police, while Naveed was hospitalized and later imprisoned.
Following the attack, gun reforms were passed in New South Wales on Christmas Eve. These include a four-firearm ownership cap and the reclassification of high-risk weapons such as pump-action firearms. The reforms also tighten licensing rules by limiting permits to two years, restricting ownership to Australian citizens, and removing the review pathway for license denials. Additionally, new laws ban the public display of terrorist symbols and grant police expanded powers to restrict public gatherings following terrorist incidents.
The Bondi Beach attack stands as Australia’s deadliest massacre since 1996.
