Sydney welcomed the New Year with a message of peace following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, with crowds gathering to watch the city’s annual fireworks display.
Words of peace and unity were projected onto the Sydney Harbor Bridge while thousands of heavily armed police patrolled the streets as part of heightened security measures. This is a rare and solemn sight in Australia.
New South Wales (NSW) police said there were more than 2,500 police officers across the city, with some officers authorized to carry advanced weapons.
On December 14, an attack targeting Australia’s Jewish community killed 15 people during the Hanukkah festival.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge was illuminated in white to symbolize peace, and a Jewish menorah was projected onto the bridge’s pylons to show solidarity with the Jewish community.
The official New Year’s Eve party was paused at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute’s silence to remember the victims of the attack.
Pictures taken from Sydney Harbor, where thousands gather every year to watch the famous fireworks display, show police officers patrolling the crowds with long guns.
Ahead of the event, Prime Minister Chris Minns warned that some people may “come face to face with” the sight of police “carrying guns and weapons the likes of which we have never seen before”.
“But I make no apologies for that. We want people to be safe in our communities,” he added.
British tourists Joe and Lucy said they were reassured by the increased police presence.
The pair, who had planned a trip to Australia to coincide with the fireworks, were in Melbourne at the time of the shooting.
“I was worried about coming on New Year’s Eve,” Joe told the BBC, adding, “But seeing the latest news, I think it would be a little safer with more police there.”
Separately, Minns urged Sydneysiders not to let the “horrific incident of criminal terrorism” in Bondi change their way of life, urging people to “show defiance” and celebrate the New Year.
This sentiment was shared by some in the audience.
Among the crowd on Barangaroo Lookout Hill, close to the Sydney Harbor Bridge, was Helen from Belgium.
“I can’t live in fear,” she told BBC People after the attack.
Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the port in the hours leading up to the countdown, and by early evening many of the official viewing areas were full.
The harbor had sailboats floating on the water, making it one of the best places to watch the midnight fireworks.
Sydney’s celebrations, accompanied by an iconic fireworks display, marked the start of a series of events from Dubai to London and New York.
Additional reporting by Harry Sekulich
