Heavy police presence in Sydney for New Year celebrations after Bondi attack

Thousands of heavily armed police patrol the streets of Sydney as people ring in the new year – a rare and striking sight in Australia, following the Bondi Beach mass shooting.

Some officers have been authorized to carry high-quality weapons as part of enhanced security measures. The Dec. 14 attack targeted Australia’s Jewish community and killed 15 people during a Hanukkah party.

New South Wales (NSW) Police said more than 2,500 officers would be on duty across the city.

Official New Year’s celebrations were interrupted at 11:00 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the attack, while Sydney’s Harbor Bridge was lit with white light to symbolize peace.

Photos from Sydney Harbor – where huge crowds gather each year to watch the city’s famous fireworks display – show officers patrolling the crowds with long-arm weapons.

Before the event, Prime Minister Chris Minns warned that some people might find the spectacle “confronting”, with police officers “carrying guns and weapons you’ve never seen before”.

“But I don’t apologize for that. We want people to be safe in our community,” he added.

British tourists Joe and Lucy said the increased police presence had reassured them.

The two men – who timed their trip to Australia to coincide with the fireworks – were in Melbourne when the shooting occurred.

“We had concerns about coming for New Year’s Eve,” Joe told the BBC, adding, “but we read more recently in the papers… that there would be more police here, it would be a bit safer.”

Separately, Minns had urged Sydneysiders not to let the “horrific criminal terrorist event” in Bondi change the way they live, while calling on people to “be defiant” and ring in the new year.

This feeling was shared by some spectators.

Among the crowd at Observatory Hill in Barangaroo, close to the Sydney Harbor Bridge, was Hélène from Belgium.

She told the BBC that people “can’t live in fear” after the attack.

Hours before the countdown, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the port, and many official viewing areas were packed by the early evening.

In the harbor, sailboats dotted the water, one of the best places to watch the midnight fireworks.

Sydney’s celebration – with its iconic fireworks display – kicks off a series of events, from Dubai to London and New York.

Additional reporting by Harry Sekulich