Emotions ran high at a vigil for the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre as a Greens Senator was confronted by furious hecklers who told her she had 'blood on her hands'. The incident occurred on Monday, less than 24 hours after the nation's deadliest mass shooting since 1996.
Confrontation at a vigil for the slain
Senator Mehreen Faruqi attended the sombre gathering at Bondi Pavilion alongside NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd and fellow senator David Shoebridge. The vigil was held to honour the 15 people killed when Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid, 50, opened fire at a 'Chanukah by the Sea' event on Sunday night.
As Sky News host Sharri Markson questioned Faruqi, accusing her of fuelling Australia's anti-Semitism crisis with her 'aggressive rhetoric' over the past two years, the senator was interrupted by shouts from the crowd. 'You're a disgrace,' one heckler yelled, while another repeated, 'Shame on you. You've got blood on your hands.'
Faruqi responded by stating, 'We are here to mourn all of those who have been unforgivably killed. We are here mourning and giving respect to the community.' When pressed by Markson on whether her attendance at pro-Palestine protests had contributed to the climate leading to the attack, and if she would apologise to the Jewish community, Faruqi deflected, saying, 'Today is about heart and humanity for those who have lost their loved ones.'
Political backlash and accusations of hypocrisy
The confrontation has ignited a fierce political debate. Liberal MP Andrew Hastie labelled Faruqi's attendance at the vigil as 'utter hypocrisy'. Speaking to Sky News, Hastie asserted that Faruqi and her colleagues had 'enabled a culture of anti-Semitism' in Australia over the past two years, a climate he believes culminated in Sunday's deadly attack.
'They have allowed anti-Semitism to grow, and now 15 innocent people, from age 10 to 87, are dead. For her to rock up didn't wash with me, mate,' Hastie said. He further accused the Albanese government of a 'monumental failure', claiming it had ignored recommendations from a July report by Special Envoy for Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal.
Faruqi has previously faced criticism for posing at a pro-Palestine protest next to a sign widely condemned as anti-Semitic. The image depicted the Israeli flag being thrown into a bin with the text 'Keep the world clean'.
A nation in mourning
The political storm unfolds amidst profound national grief. Hundreds of Hanukkah events and vigils were held across Australia on Monday night, with many lighting candles in tribute to the victims. Among the dead was 10-year-old Matilda Poltavchenko, who was shot in the stomach.
Her parents were seen embracing at Bondi Pavilion, surrounded by a sea of mourners. The family's devastation was palpable; Matilda's younger sister Summer, who witnessed the shooting, repeatedly asked family members, 'Is my sister dead?' Their aunt Lina described the loss of her 'beautiful, sweet, happy' niece as 'beyond devastation'.
As the community reels, questions are mounting over security and the detection of threats, with Hastie demanding to know, 'How did this slip through ASIO's fingers?' The tragedy has cast a long shadow, forcing a painful national conversation about hate, security, and political responsibility.
