Australian state to pass gun and protest laws after Bondi attack

The leader of the Australian state of New South Wales said on Wednesday he will recall parliament next week to pass wide-ranging reforms of gun and protest laws, days after the country’s deadliest mass shooting in three decades.

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The alleged father-and-son perpetrators opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, in an attack that shook the nation and intensified fears of rising antisemitism and violent extremism.

Funerals of the Jewish victims of Sunday’s attack began on Wednesday, amid anger over how the gunmen — one of whom was briefly investigated for links to extremists — were allowed access to powerful firearms.

Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales state where the attack took place, told a news conference parliament would return on Dec. 22 to hear “urgent” reforms, including capping the number of firearms allowed by a single person and making certain types of shotguns harder to access.

The state government will also look at reforms making it harder to hold large street protests after terror events, in order to prevent further tensions.

“We've got a monumental task in front of us. It’s huge,” he said.