Fri Dec 19 03:42:38 UTC 2025: ## Australia Announces National Gun Buyback Program After Bondi Beach Massacre
Canberra, Australia – In the wake of the devastating Bondi Beach shooting that claimed 15 lives, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a national gun buyback scheme, the largest since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The announcement comes amid growing concerns about the increasing number of firearms in the country.
“Right now, there are more guns in Australia than there were during Port Arthur,” Albanese stated at a press conference on Friday, highlighting the urgency of the situation. He cited a figure of over four million firearms currently circulating in Australia.
The program aims to remove surplus, newly-banned, and illegal firearms from circulation. State and territory authorities will be responsible for collecting the weapons and processing payments, while federal police will handle their destruction. The government anticipates collecting and destroying hundreds of thousands of firearms through this initiative.
The Bondi Beach attack, perpetrated by Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, who were reportedly inspired by “Islamic State ideology,” has deeply shaken the nation. Sajid Akram was killed at the scene, while Naveed Akram has been charged with terrorism and murder offences.
Albanese also announced tougher hate speech laws in response to a rise in anti-Jewish sentiment following the October 7th attacks on Israel. He condemned the Bondi attack as “an attack on our Jewish community, but it was also an attack on the Australian way of life.”
In addition to the buyback program and strengthened hate speech laws, Australia will hold a national day of reflection this Sunday, marking one week since the Bondi Beach tragedy. Albanese encouraged Australians to light candles at 6:47pm, the time the attack unfolded, as a moment to “pause, reflect, and affirm that hatred and violence will never define who we are as Australians.”
Earlier in the day, hundreds of people participated in a memorial swim off Bondi Beach, a powerful display of community resilience and defiance in the face of the horrific event.
The national gun buyback program represents a significant step towards addressing gun violence in Australia and reaffirming the country’s commitment to public safety.
First Piper 