Australia PM Albanese launches gun ‘buyback’ plan after Bondi Beach attack

Albanese said Australia has much guns present than 30 years ago, erstwhile the country’s deadliest-ever wide shooting took place.

Australia volition motorboat a nationalist weapon buyback scheme, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced, arsenic the state continues to travel to presumption with the deadly onslaught connected a Jewish vacation lawsuit astatine Sydney’s Bondi Beach that near 15 radical dead.

Albanese called the program the country’s biggest weapon buyback since 1996 – the twelvemonth of Australia’s deadliest wide shooting successful modern history, the Port Arthur massacre successful the land authorities of Tasmania – and said authorities volition acquisition surplus, newly-banned and amerciable firearms.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3UK constabulary apprehension 4 radical for pro-Palestine ‘Intifada’ calls
• list 2 of 3Mourners wage tribute to 10-year-old killed successful Bondi massacre
• list 3 of 3Shop proprietor who helped Bondi victims speaks to Al Jazeera

“Right now, determination are much guns successful Australia than determination were during Port Arthur. We can’t let that to continue,” Albanese told a quality league connected Friday, adding that determination are presently much than 4 cardinal firearms successful the country.

“Non-citizens person nary request to ain a gun. And idiosyncratic successful suburban Sydney has nary request to ain six … The unspeakable events of Bondi amusement we request to get much guns disconnected our streets,” helium said.

Albanese added that authorities successful Australia’s states and territories volition beryllium tasked with collecting the weapons and processing payments for surrendered firearms nether the scheme. Federal constabulary volition past beryllium liable for destroying them.

“We expect hundreds of thousands of firearms volition beryllium collected and destroyed done this scheme,” Albanese added.

Aided by immoderate of the toughest weapon restrictions globally, Australia has 1 of the lowest weapon homicide rates successful the world.

Restrictions were tightened aft a lone gunman, equipped with semiautomatic weapons, killed 35 radical astatine the Port Arthur tourer tract astir 30 years ago.

The massacre shocked the country, with authorities soon aft launching a large weapon amnesty and buyback strategy that removed much than 650,000 newly-prohibited firearms from circulation.

‘We request to bash much to combat this evil scourge’

Sunday’s shooting successful Sydney’s Bondi Beach country – successful which 2 attackers, named arsenic begetter and lad Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, went connected a shooting spree and killed 15 radical – has had a likewise jolting interaction connected Australian nine arsenic the Port Arthur massacre and prompted self-reflection.

Albanese said 50-year-old Sajid – who was changeable dormant astatine the country – and 24-year-old Naveed – who was charged with “terrorism” and execution offences aft helium awoke from a coma connected Tuesday – were inspired by “Islamic State ideology”.

On Thursday, Albanese announced tougher hatred code laws arsenic helium acknowledged the state had experienced a rising tide of anti-Jewish hate since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks connected Israel, and Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza.

Albanese said rising anti-Semitism successful Australia “culminated connected Sunday successful 1 of the worst acts of wide execution that this state has ever seen”.

“It was an onslaught connected our Jewish assemblage – but it was besides an onslaught connected the Australian mode of life,” helium said.

“Australians are shocked and angry. I americium angry. It is wide we request to bash much to combat this evil scourge, overmuch more,” helium added.

The premier curate besides announced connected Friday that Australia volition clasp a nationalist time of reflection this Sunday – 1 week aft the wide shooting.

Albanese urged Australians to airy candles astatine 6:47pm (07:47 GMT) connected Sunday, December 21 – “exactly 1 week since the onslaught unfolded”.

“It is simply a infinitesimal to pause, reflect, and affirm that hatred and unit volition ne'er specify who we are arsenic Australians,” helium told reporters.

Earlier connected Friday, hundreds of radical plunged into the water disconnected Bondi Beach successful different motion to honour the dead.

Swimmers and surfers paddled into a ellipse arsenic they bobbed successful the gentle greeting swell, splashing h2o and roaring with emotion.

“They slaughtered guiltless victims, and contiguous I’m swimming retired determination and being portion of my assemblage again to bring backmost the light,” information advisor Jason Carr told the AFP quality agency.

“We’re inactive burying bodies. But I conscionable felt it was important,” the 53-year-old said.

“I’m not going to fto idiosyncratic truthful evil, idiosyncratic truthful dark, halt maine from doing what I bash and what I bask doing,” helium said.

Surfers and swimmers congregate successful the surf astatine Bondi Beach arsenic they enactment successful a tribute for the victims of Sunday’s Bondi Beach attack, successful Sydney, connected December 19, 2025 [David Gray/AFP]