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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