Australia will mark one week since the Bondi Beach mass shooting with a national day of “reflection”, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday, as his government outlined plans for the country’s largest gun buyback scheme in nearly three decades.
Albanese urged Australians to light candles at 6.47 pm on Sunday, December 21 — “exactly one week since the attack unfolded” — in a symbolic act of remembrance for the 15 people killed in what authorities have described as an antisemitic terror attack.
“This day is about standing with the Jewish community, wrapping our arms around them, and all Australians sharing their grief,” Albanese told reporters. “It is a moment to pause, reflect, and affirm that hatred and violence will never define who we are as Australians.”
The prime minister said the government was also planning a separate national day of mourning to be held early in the new year, allowing families time to bury their loved ones and support survivors still recovering from physical and psychological trauma.
The attack, Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, occurred on Sunday evening when alleged father-and-son gunmen Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram opened fire at people gathered at Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah. Prosecutors say 15 people were killed before police intervened.
In response, Albanese announced a nationwide gun buyback scheme aimed at removing “surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms” from the community. He said the initiative would be the most significant firearms recall since Australia’s sweeping gun law reforms nearly 30 years ago.
“Australia’s gun laws were substantially reformed after the Port Arthur tragedy,” Albanese said, referring to the massacre in Tasmania that killed 35 people and transformed the country’s approach to firearms ownership. “The terrible events at Bondi show we need to get more guns off our streets.”
Details of the buyback scheme are expected to be finalised in coming weeks, but officials say it will target weapons that have fallen outside existing licensing frameworks as well as firearms obtained illegally.
Authorities have said the Bondi shooting appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State group. While IS has not explicitly claimed responsibility, it described the attack as a “source of pride” in an article published on its Telegram channel, fuelling concerns about radicalisation and copycat violence.
Police across New South Wales and other states have stepped up patrols around Jewish institutions, beaches and major public gatherings. Late on Thursday, officers intercepted two cars and detained seven men in Sydney’s southwest after receiving intelligence that “a violent act was possibly being planned”.
New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the men were known to authorities and appeared to have ideological links similar to those of the alleged Bondi gunmen. A knife was recovered, though no firearms were found.
“We have some indication that Bondi was one of the locations they might be visiting yesterday, but with no specific intent in mind or proven at this stage,” Hudson told ABC Radio.
On Friday, members of Australia’s Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach for prayers at the site of the attack. In a powerful display of solidarity, hundreds of swimmers and surfers paddled out into the water as the names of the 15 victims were read aloud.
Community leaders described the scene as deeply moving, particularly against the backdrop of heightened fears over a surge in antisemitic incidents since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
“Over the past two years, there’s been a lot of people who have been questioning whether we’re still welcome here in Australia, because we saw people calling for our death on the streets on a weekly basis,” Rabbi Yosef Eichenblatt of Sydney’s Central Synagogue told ABC News after attending the paddle-out event. “So it’s been so heart-warming to see the outpouring of love and support. It’s really so therapeutic.”
Albanese, who has faced mounting criticism from opponents and some community groups who argue his centre-left government has not acted decisively enough against antisemitism, vowed a tougher crackdown on hate speech in the wake of the attack.
He said the government would introduce legislation to make it easier to charge individuals who promote hatred or violence, and to cancel or refuse visas for people involved in hate speech. The proposed measures would strengthen existing laws but are likely to provoke debate over free speech and civil liberties.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has urged Albanese to recall parliament early to address antisemitism and national security concerns. The prime minister said he was open to convening parliament before February, though he cautioned that the laws were complex and would take time to draft properly.
As the nation mourns, funerals for the victims have begun. On Thursday, family and friends gathered to lay to rest 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest of those killed. Yellow toy bees adorned her coffin, and mourners wore yellow clothing and bee-themed stickers, carrying balloons and toys in her memory. Matilda’s middle name was Bee.
As Australia prepares to pause in collective reflection on Sunday evening, the government’s announcements signal a broader reckoning — one that seeks to honour the victims, confront the threat of violent extremism, and reaffirm the country’s long-standing resolve that mass shootings must never become a part of Australian life.
