Candlelight vigils held across Australia after Bondi Jewish festival attack

Australians lit candles at 6:47 p.m. on Sunday (1:17 p.m. IST) to collectively commemorate the moment the first shots rang out a week earlier at Sydney’s Bondi Beach , where an attack on a Jewish festival left 15 people dead .

The federal government and the New South Wales state government had declared Sunday a national Day of Reflection, marking a week since Australia’s worst mass shooting since 35 people were killed in Tasmania in 1996.

Earlier in the day, Indigenous leaders conducted a traditional smoking ceremony at the waterfront Bondi Pavilion, where an impromptu memorial had expanded over the past week with flowers, candles and handwritten messages. Authorities said the memorial would be cleared on Monday.

Thousands of people gathered at Bondi later on Sunday to honour the victims and express solidarity with the Jewish community. It was stated that the attack was not only directed at Jewish Australians but was an assault on broader Australian values, and that the gathering was intended to demonstrate unity and a rejection of hatred and violence.

The shooting occurred last Sunday when two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on the first day of the eight-day Jewish holiday. Health authorities said 13 people wounded in the attack remained hospitalized in Sydney as of Sunday.

Among those hospitalized was the alleged gunman, Naveed Akram, 24, who was shot by police during the response. He has been charged with 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder. His father, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene.

As part of the Day of Reflection, flags on government buildings were flown at half-staff, and major public buildings were lit in yellow on Sunday night as a show of solidarity with the Jewish community. Television and radio broadcasters were also asked to observe a minute’s silence at 6:47 p.m.

Members of the wider Australian community were invited to join Jewish residents at Bondi to observe the final full day of Hanukkah, which concludes at sundown on Monday. It was emphasised that the lighting of the eighth candle symbolised the belief that light would prevail over darkness.

Meanwhile, concerns were raised by Jewish community leaders over a perceived failure by authorities to adequately address a rise in antisemitism in Australia since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023. It was said that families of the victims felt deeply let down and betrayed, and that many remained in shock, struggling to process their grief and uncertainty about the future.

Community representatives said anger and frustration were growing alongside grief, with calls for answers and meaningful change to ensure greater protection and accountability going forward.