A new mural has been unveiled on the Bondi Beach sea wall, memorialising the victims of last December's terrorist attack.
A total of 15 people were killed when Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid, opened fire during a Chabad Chanukah party on December 14.
The mural, which consists of people holding hands and forming the shape of a menorah, was painted by artists Mia Lazarus and Jenna Caspary, and commissioned by Sydney’s Waverly Council.
Lazarus told Australian Jewish news outlet J Wire: “I live around Bondi, and it’s always been a relatively happy, normal place.
“After what happened, every time I’ve gone to Bondi, it just feels... heavier.”
She said the purpose of the artwork is to bring light and joy back into the area. “Any single person who walked past [the new mural] stopped for a second, had a smile on their face, even if they didn’t know [what a menorah is],” she said.
“We wanted it to be for everyone.”
Caspary added: “It’s nice for people who were affected to see that and say, ‘okay, we’re remembered’, or ‘we matter’... we just really wanted to bring light back.”
The mural is filled with drawings illustrating both the beach and the victims, including a bee in memory of ten-year-old Matilda Bee Brittan, the youngest victim of the attack.
Naveed Akram is awaiting trial on 78 charges, which include murder, attempted murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. His father was shot dead at the scene by police.
Both men had pledged allegiance to Islamic State prior to the attack, which was perpetrated using Sajid’s legally owned firearms.
Naveed had previously been investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) in 2019 over alleged links to extremist Islamic groups.
However, he was judged not to pose any “ongoing threat” and subsequently not placed on a watchlist.
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