NSW Premier Defends Police Actions Amid Bondi Beach Attack Criticism

Tue Dec 16 2025 16:16:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Following the Bondi Beach attack that claimed 15 lives during a Jewish festival, NSW Premier Chris Minns staunchly defends police responses, asserting their bravery under fire as community questions security protocols.

Premier Chris Minns of New South Wales has come to the defense of the police in the wake of a recent attack at a Jewish festival in Bondi Beach, where two gunmen killed 15 individuals. Amid public criticism regarding the police response, Minns emphasized the officers' bravery and integrity, asserting that they faced significant dangers while attempting to neutralize the threat. Witnesses had expressed concerns that the police were slow to react and had frozen during the event. Despite these criticisms, Minns maintained that the officers engaged the armed suspects with courage and that any assumption of negligence should be dismissed based on the facts available.

The New South Wales (NSW) premier has strongly rejected criticism of the police response to the attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, saying officers acted with bravery and integrity.

Some witnesses have suggested police were too slow to disarm the two gunmen, who killed 15 people and injured dozens at an event celebrating Hanukkah at Australia's best-known beach.

There are two officers in critical care... at the moment, Chris Minns said after sustained questioning from reporters. They weren't shot in the back as they were running away. They were shot in the front.

There have also been questions about whether adequate security was provided before the shooting took place.

Witness Shmulik Scuri stated, They shoot, shoot, change magazine and just shoot, adding he thought officers froze.

Asked about these criticisms, Minns said the rush to conclusions about the police operation was disrespectful. They didn't take a backward step. They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns. The offenders had long-range rifles, he stated.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon avoided questions about how many officers had been deployed to police the event in advance but emphasized that police regularly patrol that area.

Australia's security agency indicated that the younger alleged gunman, Naveed Akram, had come to their attention in 2019 but there was no evidence suggesting a risk of violence.

Had there been intelligence that there was a particular threat at that location, or to that event, we may have had a different policing response, Commissioner Lanyon explained.

As part of Operation Shelter, established after a previous attack on October 7, 2023, police conduct regular patrols of high-risk locations, focusing on areas with significant Jewish populations.

Police reported gunfire at Bondi Beach at 18:47 (07:47 GMT) on Sunday, with the shooting spree lasting around ten minutes before police engaged the suspects.

Dr. Vincent Hurley, a former police officer, remarked that it is unrealistic to expect perfect police response training for every scenario, noting the chaotic circumstances police faced during the event.