01/02/26 11:00:00
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01/02 22:55 CST Rifle-toting police will patrol the 5th Ashes cricket test in
Sydney following Bondi shootings
Rifle-toting police will patrol the 5th Ashes cricket test in Sydney following
Bondi shootings
SYDNEY (AP) --- Police with long-armed rifles, a rarity at sporting events in
Australia, will patrol the final Ashes cricket test in Sydney starting Sunday
as part of heightened security measures following the Bondi Beach terror attack
in the city.
Uniformed and mounted police along with public order and riot squad officers
will watch over the sold-out match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It comes three
weeks after two gunmen killed 15 people and injured many more at a Hanukkah
celebration at Bondi.
The increased visibility of the rifles is intended to reassure the public and
there is no threat to the community, New South Wales state Police Commissioner
Mal Lanyon said Saturday.
"Many people may not be used to seeing police carrying rifles at sporting
events, but our objective here is to help the public feel safe and police will
be out in force," he said. "The difference will be in the visibility of
long-arms and a stronger presence. Police will otherwise be targeting
anti-social and unsafe behavior as usual."
The measures are similar to those for the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground which began Dec. 26 where specialist police officers were armed
with semiautomatic rifles and patrolled around the busy stadium, a nearby park
and railway station.
Cricket Australia also announced Saturday that victims of the Bondi shootings,
first responders and community members will be honored with an on-field tribute
on the first day. The on-field tribute will include a guard of honor and round
of applause recognizing the efforts and service of emergency response agencies
and community members.
"The incredible acts of bravery . . . at the scene of the Bondi attack were a
reminder of the spirit of community and self-sacrifice that unites us as a
nation," Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said in a statement.
Seven people remain hospitalized following the Dec. 14 attack at Bondi. Six
remain in stable condition, while one is in a critical but stable condition.
Naveed Akram, 24, one of the two accused gunmen, is facing 59 charges over the
attack that includes 15 counts of murder. Akram was shot by police at the scene
and spent days in a coma before being charged. His father Sajid Akram, 50, was
killed by police at the scene.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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