{"id":636934,"date":"2025-12-16T23:16:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T23:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/636934\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T23:16:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T23:16:25","slug":"lisburn-council-u-turn-on-minutes-silence-for-victims-of-bondi-beach-massacre-in-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/636934\/","title":{"rendered":"Lisburn council U-turn on minute\u2019s silence for victims of Bondi beach massacre in Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) had on Monday turned down a DUP councillor\u2019s request for a minute\u2019s silence<\/a>, with a decision to open a book of condolence instead.<\/p>\n

However, at a full council meeting today (December 16) the chamber fell silent following a sudden change of direction, which was only announced to elected members as the meeting began.<\/p>\n

Mayor Amanda Grehan (Alliance) said: \u201cI would like to thank members of the public and councillors who reached out with suggestions on how this council could show its respects and sympathies following the tragic shooting at Bondi beach during the Hanukkah festival.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a shocking and heartbreaking event that\u2019s impact is felt deeply across our community.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a council we come together to express our sincere condolences and solidarity with those who lost their lives, injured and everyone affected by this devastating tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mayor<\/p>\n

Mayor Amanda Grehan<\/p>\n

The Sunday 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 have been named as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24.<\/p>\n

Bystander Ahmed al Ahmed was filmed wrestling a gun off an attacker, an action said to have potentially saved many people from being gunned down.<\/p>\n

The Mayor added: \u201cWe know that many families in our constituency have relatives in Sydney and around Bondi beach and throughout Australia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis horrific attack has profoundly affected so many people and it must have been deeply distressing for those who witnessed it first hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of our council and community I am writing to the organisations of the festival and to the Lord Mayor of Sydney to convey our condolences and offer our full support and solidarity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gathered earlier this evening to open a book of condolences, which is also available to sign online allowing our community to share words of comfort, remembrance and support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI now ask everyone present to join me to observe a minute\u2019s silence to honour the victims of the tragic events on Bondi beach, to acknowledge the profound impact on families and first responders and offer our heartfelt support to the Jewish community. Would you all now stand please.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s understood that the decision to hold a minute\u2019s silence was only announced to councillors as the meeting began, without any discussions with party leaders or advance notice to the chamber.<\/p>\n

The Lagan Valley floor was opened to all parties and independent members who took the opportunity to express their sympathies to the people of Sydney and condemn the actions of the attackers.<\/p>\n

DUP councillor Paul Porter had brought forward the initial suggestion via email to the council chief executive and Mayor for a minute\u2019s silence. However, it was initially decided that the mayor would write to the Australian prime minister conveying the council\u2019s sympathies, and open a book of condolence.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The DUP’s Paul Porter<\/p>\n

Mr Porter said: \u201cI welcome the Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council agreeing to hold a minute\u2019s silence before tonight\u2019s full council meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was something I formally requested on Sunday following the horrific and antisemitic killings in Australia, and I am pleased that council paused to remember those who lost their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis moment of silence is not about politics or procedure; it is about basic humanity, respect, and standing in solidarity with the Jewish community at a time of deep grief.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe council has also opened a book of condolence, which can be signed both online and in person.<\/p>\n

\u201cI encourage people to sign the book of condolence and share their thoughts and prayers with our Jewish friends in our council area, in Australia, and throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lisburn<\/p>\n

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council opens a book of condolence for the people of Sydney following the tragic Bondi beach shooting on December 14.
\nPhoto courtesy of LCCC<\/p>\n

Lord Mayor of Belfast opens book of condolence after Bondi Beach attack <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) had on Monday turned down a DUP councillor\u2019s request for a minute\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":636935,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[924,5823,1144,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-636934","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-democratic-unionist-party","9":"tag-lisburn-and-castlereagh-city-council","10":"tag-northern-ireland","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115731798343945278","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636934","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=636934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/636935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=636934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=636934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=636934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}