‘Don’t give up on hope’: NSW Premier Chris Minns issues touching message at memorial for Bondi shooting victims

NSW Premier Chris Minns has urged people not to “give up on hope” in a heartbreaking speech at the memorial for the 15 victims slain in the Bondi Beach massacre. Mr Minns was joined by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, NSW governor Margaret Beazley, Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher, Chief Minister of the Great Synagogue Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton and other religious leaders at the memorial to the victims of Sunday’s atrocity, held at St Mary’s Cathedral on Wednesday night. Alleged gunmen Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on attendees at Bondi’s Chanukah By the Sea on Sunday night - killing 15 and injuring multiple others. Sajid was killed in a shootout with police while Naveed was taken into custody in a coma. He has since been charged with 59 criminal offences - including 15 counts of murder. The atrocity has sparked a national outpouring of grief from across Australia’s religious and political spectrums, as the nation grapples with its most deadly gun massacre since Port Arthur in Tasmania. Addressing the crowd of mourners on Thursday, Mr Minns said attendees were meant to gather to celebrate Christmas - “a season that speaks to Christians of joy, of hope and of light entering the world”. “Unfortunately and instead, we come together here at the beautiful St Mary’s Cathedral in a different spirit,” he said. “United in grief but also in love, to stand alongside the Jewish community of NSW and to say clearly and without hesitation that you are not alone.” Mr Minns said the purpose of the attack was to “frighten us and to isolate us” and divide Australians. “But standing here together across faiths and backgrounds, it’s clear that it will fail. It will fail because of the strength of the Jewish people,” he said. “It will fail because of the strength of Australians, a strength shaped by our shared values, our respect for faith and an unbreakable commitment to one another, whether we know each other or not. “Now, I think it would be reasonable that hope could seem a distant prospect after the last few days. Some may even call a return to happiness and unity a miracle. And the truth is, we’ve got every reason for despair at the moment. “But perhaps we can take some encouragement and comfort from our Jewish friends. As David Ben Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, said ‘In the Middle East, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.’ “So don’t give up on hope.” Thursday’s call for unity followed the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Bondi being cancelled in the wake of the massacre. Australia’s spy agency has revealed that one of the men who carried out the Bondi massacre was investigated for links to ISIL. “Due to the current situation on the ground, Waverley Council has made the decision to cancel New Year’s Eve events at Bondi Beach, including elrow XXL Bondi and Local’s Lawn,” a Waverley Council spokesperson said on Wednesday. The elrow XXL was set to feature HoneyLuv, Kölsch, Patrick Topping, TSHA and William Kiss, with 15,000 people expected to attend. Event promoter Fuzzy said all ticketholders had been contacted and that automatic refunds would be processed within seven days.