The horrific knife attack at Sydney's Bondi Junction has delivered a sickening jolt to the Australian psyche. While our nation lost its innocence to terrorism long ago, this assault forces us into a club no country wishes to join: those now confronting the daily spectre of Islamist-inspired violence.
A Chilling Parallel: From Paris to Sydney
Australia is not the first to endure this trauma. The path is tragically familiar, as seen in France. Eleven months before the infamous Bataclan theatre massacre in Paris, another atrocity shook the nation. In January 2015, brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi launched a gun rampage at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo magazine, murdering 12 people. The satirical publication had a history of publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Two days later, the terror continued. Amedy Coulibaly took hostages inside a Kosher supermarket in Paris, killing 4 Jewish people. France was plunged into profound shock. In a powerful display of defiance, 1.6 million citizens marched through Paris on a freezing November day under banners declaring "Je suis Charlie." It was a moment of noble solidarity.
The Futility of Defiance: A Relentless Toll
Yet, in retrospect, that march marked a day of noble futility. Despite a massive security crackdown, terror has persisted. Since the Charlie Hebdo attack, 251 people have been killed across France in at least 21 ISIS or extreme-Islamist motivated attacks. This includes the Bataclan massacre and the Nice truck rampage. A further 21 attacks resulted in injuries without loss of life.
The security landscape in France has been permanently altered. Armed police and soldiers, often carrying assault-style firearms, are now a common sight on streets and at landmarks. This is their new, long-term reality. For years, under initiatives like Operation Strade Sicure (Safe Streets), it has been normal to see Italian military personnel guarding tourist sites in Rome—a confronting sight for visitors, but routine for locals.
Australia's Sobering New Normal
The Bondi attack starkly highlights the disparity in preparedness. The brave police officers who confronted the attacker were armed with standard-issue pistols, weapons with a vastly smaller range than the long knife he wielded. The French response, with heavily armed patrols, presents one possible future.
If Australians wish for police to be better armed against such threats, this is what it looks like. The sight of officers with military-grade weapons in our shopping centres and public spaces could become part of our everyday life, as we desperately hope to restore our treasured, peaceful way of living.
The trial for the Charlie Hebdo attacks has concluded, with a French court sentencing 14 individuals. Yet, the threat endures, as seen in a knife attack near the magazine's former offices as recently as September 2020. The Bondi tragedy signals that Australia must now grapple with this same enduring, grim reality.
