Prime minister briefed by AFP following alleged stabbing incident in Wakeley
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says he has been briefed by the Australian federal police following an alleged stabbing at a Wakeley church overnight.
Albanese wrote on X:
I have been briefed by the AFP and our security agencies regarding the shocking incident at Wakeley’s Christ the Good Shepherd Church.
As police continue their investigations, Australians are thinking of those who have been injured, the first responders who rushed to help and the police who worked to restore order.
‘We are collectively one community’: western Sydney MP reiterates call for unity
Local MP Dai Le also spoke with Sunrise this morning, reiterating her call for social cohesion.
She said local leaders were “starting on the right foot” following Chris Minns’ call for unity with faith leaders from various denominations:
They are coming out on a united front irrespective of religion, political [or] ideological views, and I think that is really important to send a message [that] we are collectively one community …
We are a fairly big mixed community now in NSW but it doesn’t mean we can’t live side by side.
Liberal MP wishes speedy recovery for Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel
The Liberal MP Michael Sukkar says Middle Eastern Christians “deserve nothing less than to worship in peace, without fear” while wishing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel a speedy recovery.
Posting to X following last night’s alleged stabbing incident at a Wakeley church, Sukkar wrote:
Middle eastern Christians have suffered terrible persecution for centuries. Those who have come to Australia for a better life have contributed immeasurably to our country. They deserve nothing less than to worship in peace, without fear.
My prayers for a speedy recovery are with Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and thoughts are with all Australian Assyrian Christians who will be in shock today.
Western Sydney MP: ‘It looks like some kind of carnage here’
The independent MP for Fowler, Dai Le, said things have calmed down in the community after last night’s alleged incident, although “it looks like some kind of carnage here with broken glass” in the street.
Le, who is a local MP in western Sydney, said she has previously attended the Wakeley church where Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly stabbed and said he was a “very great person” and “wonderful human being”.
She noted “people are on edge” following the Bondi Junction mass stabbing and said last night’s alleged incident has “just heightened people’s nervousness”.
But I know the church and I, myself, as a federal member for this wonderful multicultural and multi-faith community, we’re calling for calm …
I think this morning things have calmed down, even though it looks like some kind of carnage here with broken glass everywhere in the street.
It’s often a very quiet residential area and so, it is quite sad, I suppose, that it has happened. And I know that the bishop, when he comes out, he’ll ask for calm and peace and I know he’ll pray for the attacker as well.
Independent MP for Fowler Dai Le. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
Normal to feel ‘shaken, uncomfortable, distressed’ by what has occurred in Sydney, minister says
Rose Jackson also stressed it is “completely normal” for people to feel “shaken and uncomfortable and distressed” by what has occurred in Sydney over the last few days.
People have a right to feel safe, going to a shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon or going to church to pray with fellow parishioners. And when that’s shaken, when those bonds are disturbed and people start to feel as though those things maybe aren’t safe, it can be incredibly distressing.
NSW minister for housing and homelessness Rose Jackson standing next to the premier Chris Minns. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
NSW minister calls for ‘everyone in the community to show some calm’
Rose Jackson said it was important for the community to come together following the alleged incident in Wakeley overnight, noting the unanimous call from faith leaders for unity.
She told ABC RN:
There’s been a call overnight, I think from every religious leader in Sydney, jointly issuing a statement for calm, for cohesion, for the community to come together and obviously that’s important.
… I can understand that these kind of incidents make people feel distress. They make people uncomfortable. You know, these can be really tough times for a city like Sydney, which is normally so cohesive and you know, really prides itself on that.
It’s just worth reflecting on how important our first responders are in maintaining that and just calling for everyone in the community to really show some calm and let the police do their job …
Western Sydney faith leaders back call for calm in community
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, convened a meeting with western Sydney religious leaders late last night who “supported a unanimous condemnation of violence in any form, called for the community to follow first responder and police instructions and called for calm in the community”.
The attendees of the meeting included:
Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay – Maronite Bishop of Australia
Hazef Alameddine – president, Lebanese Muslim Association
Bishop Robert Rabbat – Bishop of the Melkite Church
Sheikh Shadi Alsuleiman – president of the Australian National Imans Council
Archbishop Zaia Mar Malis – Archbishop of Assyrian Community
Kamalle Dabboussy – CEO, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
Chris Minns – NSW premier
Steve Kamper – minister for multiculturalism
Anthony Cook – NSW police assistant commissioner
Simon Draper – secretary of the premier’s department
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in stable condition, NSW minister says
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel is in a stable condition after last night’s alleged attack, the New South Wales housing minister, Rose Jackson, says.
Speaking to ABC RN earlier this morning, she said the premier, Chris Minns, is due to provide an update around 7.30am but at this stage, there is no further information regarding motive:
We don’t have any additional information in terms of motivation, in terms of what’s behind this. Obviously it occurred quite late yesterday and then the police had a bit of a job in terms of dealing with some community unrest. Obviously people quite distressed to see that [as] it was live streamed [on] social media …
NSW minister for housing and homelessness Rose Jackson. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Teenager remains in custody after alleged stabbing
New South Wales police said a teenager remained in custody after the alleged stabbing at a church in Wakeley overnight.
Providing an update on the incident this morning, police said the 15-year-old boy remained in hospital under police guard after being arrested last night.
The 15-year-old was removed from the church and taken to hospital where he remains under police guard. He has undergone surgery for injuries sustained during the alleged attack.
Police also provided an update on those injured during the alleged attack: a 53-year-old man was treated with lacerations to his head and a 39-year-old man – injured after attempting to intervene – suffered lacerations and a shoulder wound.
They were treated by paramedics before being taken to Liverpool hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Officers have established Strike Force Petrina to investigate the alleged stabbing, and Strike Force Dribs to investigate the public order incident and identify those involved.
Good morning and welcome back to the Australia news live blog. I’m Emily Wind and I’ll take you through our rolling coverage today.
The New South Wales premier Chris Minns has called for calm after hundreds of people clashed with police in Wakeley last night after a prominent Orthodox Christian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly stabbed at the altar of his church.
NSW housing minister Rose Jackson said the bishop was in a stable condition, and there was no additional information in terms of motive at this time.
Minns, who is due to speak about the incident at around 7.30am, convened a meeting with faith leaders across western Sydney last night and said:
[The] leaders endorsed and supported a unanimous condemnation of violence in any form, called for the community to follow first responder and police instructions and called for calm in the community.
We’re calling on everyone to act with kindness and respect for each other. Now is the time to show that we are strong and united as a NSW community.
We will follow this throughout the day and bring you the latest shortly.
See something that needs attention on the blog? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
