NSW Police block Bondi vigil near Mosque, citing safety risks

New South Wales police have determined they could not guarantee the safety of Australian Jewish citizens seeking to hold a vigil in tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack if it were held in Bankstown, western Sydney, near the Al Madina Dawah Islamist center.

The initiative, led by Australian activist Drew Pavlou, was intended as a “completely peaceful” interfaith gathering, bringing together Jews, Christians, and moderate Muslims to condemn extremism. 

However, authorities informed Pavlou that holding the event near a Muslim place of worship could trigger serious public order disturbances. Police described proceeding with the vigil in that location as a “grave mistake,” Sky News reported.

Documents and exchanges reviewed by the channel also reveal that police cited procedural issues, noting that the request had not been submitted within the legal timeframe and that organizing a last-minute gathering could dangerously strain local law enforcement resources. 

Pavlou expressed deep concern over the decision, warning of what he described as “no-go zones” in Sydney where authorities may be unable to protect citizens from potential Islamist terrorist threats.

The proposed venue, the Al Madina Dawah Center, has long been controversial. Investigations into the Bondi Beach attack, during which 15 people were killed and more than 40 injured at a Hanukkah celebration, suggest that one of the terrorists, Naveed Akram, had been involved with street preaching groups linked to extremist networks in western Sydney, including the center and radical preacher Wissam Haddad. The mosque has previously been criticized for promoting antisemitic rhetoric and extremist ideology.

Calls to shut down the site have grown in recent months, with Pavlou’s petition reportedly attracting more than 18,000 signatures. 

In response, the Canterbury-Bankstown municipality ordered the immediate cessation of activities at the center, stating that monitoring indicated it was being used in ways that violated its official authorizations. 

According to city officials, the building was never legally approved as a prayer hall and had only been authorized for medical use.

The Al Madina Dawah group has argued that the center is now under “new management” and that Haddad no longer has any role there. 

Nevertheless, Haddad remains a contentious figure in Australia, having previously delivered violently antisemitic sermons and, in July 2025, losing a racial discrimination lawsuit after comparing Jews to “pigs and monkeys.”