'You're A Weak Man': Australian PM Albanese Booed At Bondi Beach Vigil

Last Updated:December 21, 2025, 18:27 IST

At the Bondi Beach vigil for Hanukkah attack victims, Anthony Albanese was booed and escorted away amid anger over rising antisemitism and security failures in Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends a press conference following the shooting at Bondi Beach. (Reuters)

Australia held a national vigil on Sunday to honour victims of the deadly Bondi Beach attack, but the sombre ceremony was marked by angry scenes as Anthony Albanese was heckled, booed, and ultimately escorted away under heavy police protection.

As the vigil concluded, Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon were marched out of the area by his Australian Federal Police security detail, with NSW Police forming a protective cordon to keep members of the public at a distance.

Witnesses said the prime minister was escorted out in darkness as angry voices rang out from the crowd.

“You’re a weak man, Albo — weak and dangerous," one man shouted. “You’ve got blood on your hands."

Albanese, who did not address the gathering, had earlier been repeatedly heckled and booed as he arrived at the vigil alongside Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.

It was the prime minister’s first visit to Bondi Beach since a brief appearance earlier in the week following the attack, which authorities have described as a terrorist incident motivated by antisemitic hatred.

Tens of thousands of people gathered under heavy security — including rooftop snipers, police boats and large patrols — to remember the victims of the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration. Fifteen people were killed and dozens wounded in the attack, which occurred a week ago. A minute of silence was observed at 6:47 p.m., the moment the violence began.

Albanese, who wore a Jewish kippah during the ceremony, was booed both on arrival and when his name was mentioned during the memorial. Critics have accused his government of failing to adequately address a rise in antisemitism in Australia following the war in Gaza.

While Albanese faced hostility, Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, received applause from sections of the crowd for his handling of the aftermath. Survivors and family members of victims also addressed the gathering, including a 14-year-old girl who recounted her experience during the attack.

The ceremony, intended as a moment of national unity, instead highlighted growing public anger and anxiety over antisemitism, security failures and political leadership.

Albanese used the occasion to announce a review of Australia’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies, saying it would examine gaps in coordination and prevention. The review, to be led by a former head of the country’s intelligence agency, is expected to be completed by April 2026.

Authorities are also considering a nationwide gun buyback programme after the massacre exposed potential weaknesses in gun licensing and information-sharing between agencies.

The attack in which one gunman was killed by police and another charged with multiple counts of murder and terrorism — has reignited a national debate over hate crimes, public safety and the threat of extremist violence in Australia, prompting renewed calls from community leaders for decisive action.

News world 'You're A Weak Man': Australian PM Albanese Booed At Bondi Beach Vigil

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