Australia falls silent for Sydney shooting victims

SYDNEY — Australians fell silent in flickering candlelight on Sunday to honor the Bondi Beach shooting victims, marking one week since two gunmen fired into crowds at a Jewish festival in Sydney.

A father and son are accused of targeting the beachside Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people in the country's deadliest mass shooting in almost 30 years.

From raucous city pubs to sleepy country towns, Australia observed a minute's silence at 6:47 pm, exactly a week since the first reports of gunfire. Television and radio networks also fell silent.

Countless homes lined their windowsills with candles in a gesture of "light over darkness", a key theme of the Hanukkah festival.

Summer winds buffeted flags lowered to half-staff across the country, including over the famed Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A candle was lit before thousands of people held their silent vigil at Bondi Beach. Images of the victims aged 10 to 87 were projected at the commemoration. Waltzing Matilda was sung in honor of the youngest victim, whose Ukrainian parents gave their Australian-born daughter what they described as the most Australian name they knew.

Anger spilled over at the government's perceived failure to act swiftly and forcefully enough after a rise in antisemitic incidents. Some booed when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's presence was announced.

The federal and New South Wales state governments declared Sunday a national Day of Reflection to mark Australia's worst mass shooting since 35 people died in Tasmania state in 1996.

Agencies via Xinhua