As Australian Emergency Law, and personally, I extend my condolences to all those affected by the Bondi terrorist incident. I also extend my thanks and appreciation to the emergency services and bystanders who in the face of danger stopped to help the injured and to disarm the offenders.
I want to make particular mention of the bystander who disarmed one offender – and then did not shoot him – and the police who had to make sense of the situation and identify who was or was not a suspect before then performing CPR on one offender and seeking to protect the other from the crowd. I cannot imagine the self-control and professionalism required to act in that way in the face of the carnage, the heightened emotion and personal risk that those officers faced. I appreciate that Bondi is in Sydney and these were NSW, not Victoria, police but it brings to mind the motto of Victoria police – ‘Uphold the Right’. Those officers upheld the right in unimaginable circumstances. They, and I’m sure all the police, paramedics, life-savers, life-guards and other responders who attended were a credit to their uniform, their profession and their community. We should draw comfort in the strength of the Australian community by focussing on the strength and courage shown by many on this day, rather than the cowardly evil of the offenders.
There will now be many years of legal repercussions from this event. The direct legal response of the prosecution and sentencing of the surviving gunman, the investigation to determine if others were involved and also subject to prosecution and the coronial inquiry if not a Royal Commission. There will also be more indirect legal considerations including potential law reform with respect to gun control, powers to interdict potential terrorists, and laws to protect the community from hateful ideas. And then there will be ongoing effects on those involved some of which will no doubt end up in the Personal Injuries Commission perhaps in many years hence when the impact of those attending today manifest in their future PTSD claims.
As ABC Journalist, Riley Stuart says ‘It’s difficult to imagine how this terror attack won’t change Australia forever’.
Australian Emergency Law 
Hello Micheal, As a Victorian fire & emergency services volunteer I appreciate your perspective on the remarkable response of police, ambulance and bystanders. Thankyou.
Ian Shelton
There is never a reason for such actions. The response represents the best of us at the worst of times. There will be, and must be, a higher level of authority to act pre-emptively, and this will challenge personal rights. Actions have consequences.
So, more government overreach, more government control and legal, law-abiding gun owners will again be the ones blamed for the actions of Islamist, Jihadist terrorists, as this is a declared terrorist attack! By terrorists to slaughter a targeted group of Jewish Australians!
The attack is due to a failure of government, a failure of Labor and the PM and his team of anti-Australian, anti-Judeo-Christian front bench! This attack is and was expected, all the warning signs have been there since the current failed Government came to power!
But of course, it will be a no blame us government, and all its supporters will be outraged and shocked, and blame the former LNP.
Public servants and politicians will line their pockets, nothing will happen other than more government control and overreach and all the issues and those how want to destroy Australia will remain!
A claim of Anti-semitic ?Criticism of Israel’s abuses has nothing to do with the Jewish people of Australia. It is hard to figure out how criticism of the ethnic cleaning and slaughter of civilians in Gazza could in anyway be taken as somehow anti-Jewish.But I can certainly see how fanatics would draw a relationship in their minds when some here claim criticism of Israel’s genocide is somehow anti-Jewish.Notice, I didn’t use the word Semitic since the definition of Semetic includes the Palestinians.============Why just protect Semites? (ie Semites are ANY one from eastern Mediterranean sea or at least Palestinians & Jews & Christians of that area)Why can’t all Bigotry & Racism be criticised?
The victims of this terrorism at Bondi were as innocent asthe tens of thousands of victims of IDF genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza carried out in retributionfor the innocent victims of the 7th October 2023 atrocities and kidnapping from Southern Israel.In the last two examples basically one tribe of Semites attacking another tribe of Semites of different religion.Religious fanatics & bigots & racists continue to propagate their hate.But what could be celebrated in recognition of the bravery of dozens of people including a new emigrant from Syria who risked his life to save many others.He should also be awarded the Cross of Valour or becauseHis courage was under fire maybe a VC?Recognition should also go to the many others who risked their lives for the safety of others.
==============Gun control ?Yes definitelyUnfortunately the majority of DV linked murder suicides (Terrorism most common in AU)As well as murders of Police officers just doing their jobsare conducted by AU citizens.Without an employment need for the weapon?Then it is time to require Guns & Bolts & Ammo all locked in separate safes Each of which is radio interlocked back to the local police station or to a licenced local gun club.With a duty to ensure the first-person permission of Spouse & children before locks are released.
Your comments are inaccurate, uneducated, lack factual evidence and are vailed support of those who commit atrocities. Ignorance goes hand in hand with weaponization of stupidity. I suggest you look at the legal definitions of the terms you miss use and abuse in the false narrative you push to defend the Islamist, Jihadist terrorist and their use of the ISIS-Hamas slaughter of unarmed civilians in Israel and the murder so called Gazans by ISIS-Hamas, as a shield to hide behind to murder Australians.The failure of a socialist, anti-Australian Labor government that is buying votes in Western Sydney, by throwing Jewish Australians and our allies under the Islamist, Jihadist ideology.This was a religious based ISIS based terrorist attack on Australian Jews by Islamist, Jihadists in support of an Islamist death cult.They could have used a car as a weapon, edged weapons, and they had by police reports IED’s in the vehicle which had an ISIS flag on it!
I don’t want this site to be a discussion forum for things we cannot resolve but I will take issue with some comments here. It’s true that being critical of Israel and the Israeli response to the atrocities of October 7 is not anti-semitic. Israel is a member of the international community and can be held to account against agreed international standards which include prohibition of war crimes (see xhttps://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/2024-05/Rome-Statute-eng.pdf). That does not justify or excuse or attempt to justify or excuse the actions of Hamas in Israel on October 7 nor the actions at Bondi. One can support the right of Palestinians to self-determination and still condemn the terrorist attacks of 9/11, 7/7, October 7 and the Bondi attacks. One can support Israel’s right to exist and its right to self defence and the right of Australia’s Jewish community to live in peace and still condemn what at least, prima facie, are war crimes in Gaza. I cannot see that Edward’s comments are a ‘veiled support of those who commit atrocities’.
This however is not the forum to address these matters. Here we can acknowledge the response to the Bondi shooting by all – citizen first responders, professional and volunteer first responders and now those providing support and services to assist in what will be a long recovery. This was an anti-semitic attack (regardless of what else is or is not anti-semitic) and continues a long history of anti-jewish sentiment dating back hundreds of years and anything our society can do to reduce non-sensical hatred of the Jewish people is a good thing. We must not fall into the temptation however of converting legitimate concern for the welfare of the Jewish people into hatred of people of Islamic faith. Let’s judge people individually and not on their assigned identity.
So simply question, I am a simple Australian army combat veteran, and have lived and worked in a number of Middle East countries and Islamic State Republics. The so called religion you are defending wants us all dead! and it is STATED IN THE KORAN! why is it you disbelief the hate preachers who state chapter and verse from the KORAN the hate and murder? I have seen first hand the result of It!
I’m not defending the religion, I’m saying I disagree with your claim that Edward Gilmour’s comments were intended to ‘defend the Islamist, Jihadist terrorist and their use of the ISIS-Hamas slaughter of unarmed civilians in Israel and the murder so called Gazans by ISIS-Hamas’ and were a ‘vailed [sic] support of those who commit atrocities’. I don’t see that is what Mr Gilmour said at all.