Man charged over ‘offensive behaviour’ on bridge at centre of Bondi attack
A man has been charged over alleged “offensive behaviour” on the footbridge at the centre of last year’s Bondi Beach massacre.
A 53-year-old man was arrested at 3pm on Friday at the beach’s northern pedestrian bridge, on which father-and-son gunmen Naveed and Sajid Akram stood as they killed 15 people.
Witnesses said the man had hung a flag from the bridge, NSW Police said in a statement. Unverified photos from social media show a Palestinian flag hanging over the side of the bridge.
Police said he had “performed offensive hand gestures”, but a spokesperson declined to detail what they were.
The man was taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where he was charged with behaving in an offensive manner in a public place. He was denied police bail, and will appear in court at a later date.
It is not the first incident to occur on the bridge since December’s terror attack killed 15 people, mostly Jewish, and injured dozens. In April this year, a 22-year-old man was sentenced to 12 months in prison after he stood on the bridge and mimicked shooting.
There has been extensive discussion about what should happen to the bridge. In the early days following the December attack, Waverley councillors debated whether the bridge should be removed or kept as a tribute to the victims. Premier Chris Minns said he supported the bridge being removed to avoid it becoming a “ghoulish reminder” of the violence.
More to come
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