![\"Beach-goers](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_TOPSHOT-AUSTRALIA-CRIME.jpg\")
Beach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire(Image: UGC\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\nThe Mayor will instead open a book of condolence for respect to be paid to the 15 innocent victims as this is considered to be the most inclusive way to mark respect for everyoneBeach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire(Image: UGC\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A request for a Northern Ireland council chamber to fall silent in respect to those murdered in a mass shooting in Australia has been turned down.<\/a><\/p>\n The shootings targeted Jewish people attending a Hanukkah event with the victims including young children and a Holocaust survivor<\/p>\n The two gunmen who killed 15 people on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday have been named as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24<\/p>\n READ MORE: AI could be ‘solution’ to claims of NI council’s ‘lax’ equality screening.<\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE: NI council’s sick days increase by 35% as they introduce Pilates approach.<\/a><\/p>\n Bystander Ahmed al Ahmed<\/a>, was filmed wrestling a gun off an attacker, an action said to have potentially saved many people from being gunned down.<\/p>\n Lisburn<\/a> South DUP<\/a> Alderman Paul Porter said:”I have sent a letter to the chief executive and the Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, requesting that, as a mark of respect and in memory of those brutally murdered by terrorists in Australia, a minute\u2019s silence be observed before Tuesday night\u2019s full council meeting.<\/p>\n “This was not just an attack on the Jewish community, it was an attack on us all, on decency, freedom, and the right to live without fear.<\/p>\n “I have also asked that the council write to the Prime Minister of Australia, conveying our condolences and expressing our solidarity with the Jewish community who have suffered such a devastating loss.<\/p>\n “Our thoughts and prayers are with our Jewish neighbours and friends here at home, in Australia, and with Jewish communities throughout the world.”<\/p>\n The gunmen had reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.<\/p>\n Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attackers were not part of a terror cell, but “clearly, they were motivated by this extremist ideology”.<\/p>\n The Local Democracy Reporting Service<\/a> understands that a number of elected representatives have contacted Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council<\/a> with various suggestions to offer respect to the people of Australia.<\/p>\n The council has now decided upon a book of condolences as its way to express sympathy to the Commonwealth country.<\/p>\n A LCCC spokesperson responded:”Our Mayor, Alderman Amanda Grehan<\/a> has been contacted by a number of individuals following the tragedy at Bondi beach, Australia on Sunday 14th December.<\/p>\n \u201cAs First Citizen the Mayor will write to the New South Wales government to express our sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and the people of NSW.<\/p>\n “She will also open a book of condolence for respect to be paid to the 15 innocent victims as this is considered to be the most inclusive way to mark respect for everyone.<\/p>\n “Within Lisburn and Castlereagh, we are privileged to live in an inclusive city and should unite to remember those who lost their lives on Bondi beach.<\/p>\n “This tragedy will be remembered across the world and as a council we must remember those who died and honour the first responders who selflessly helped those in distress and injured.<\/p>\n “We ask our community and people across Northern Ireland to leave messages of sympathy.<\/p>\n “Please support our message of hate and violence should not be tolerated in today’s society, be inclusive and respectful of everyone.”<\/p>\n For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage <\/strong>here<\/a> and sign up to our daily newsletter<\/a> here.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Mayor will instead open a book of condolence for respect to be paid to the 15 innocent…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":634543,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[6416,6408,83641,1144,285,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-634542","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-alliance-party","9":"tag-dup","10":"tag-lisburn-city-and-castlereagh-district-council","11":"tag-northern-ireland","12":"tag-politics","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115725276610463763","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"General](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Image_20250304_175124_657jpeg.jpg\")
General view of Lisburn City and Castlereagh Council headquarters at Lagan Valley Island(Image: LDRS)<\/p>\n