Hundreds Of People In Australia Held A "Paddle Out" Memorial At Bondi Beach For The 15 Killed In The Shooting
People laid flowers on the water, clapped in unison and observed a moment of silence as lifeguards and police watched from the shore.
Hundreds of surfers and swimmers in Australia held a “paddle out” memorial at Bondi Beach, Sydney, for the 15 people killed in the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on the beach.
Paddle outs are a long-standing ritual in surf culture, traditionally used to honor surfers who have died.
On Dec. 14, two gunmen, a father and a son, opened fire on a Jewish gathering for the Chanukah by the Sea event to celebrate the start of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah.
The attack killed 15 people, including one of the gunmen and injured at least 40 others.
Police have declared the incident a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
Early on Friday morning, Dec. 19, surfers and swimmers entered the water just offshore, sitting on surfboards and bodyboards to form a wide circle around a white buoy.
The paddle out was organized by members of the local surf community, who say it came together to start the healing process in the local communities.
People laid flowers on the water, clapped in unison and observed a moment of silence as lifeguards and police watched from the shore.
One participant even spray-painted “solidarity” on his board.
At the same time, people left flowers, candles and handwritten notes near Bondi Pavilion, close to where the attack took place.
A Bondi resident told the ABC News it was beautiful to see the community reclaim the beach after the attack.
“It has just been fantastic to see so many people taking the beach back and in such a peaceful, joyful, loving, kind, warm way,” she said.
Cherry Mohamed
Sofia Hou
Cherry Mohamed
