A Christian priest was stabbed multiple times while delivering Mass at a Sydney church in Australia. A crowd of hundreds of angry Christians then surrounded the church, where hundreds of Riot Police guarded the stabber.
The incident comes just days after a man killed six people in a Westfield shopping centre in Bondi Beach, Australia.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was leading a service at Wakely’s Christ The Good Shepherd Church when a man with a knife appeared in the church. The man stabbed the priest at the altar. Onlookers rushed to help within seconds to stop the killing attempt.
People are heard screaming as the man goes berserk, stabbing the priest wildly before the live stream is cut off. Multiple individuals were hurt.
“Bring him out!”
A crowd of more than 5000 angry Christian men have surrounded the church where hundreds of Riot Police are guarding the #stabbing attacker. Courtesy Chriscoveries. pic.twitter.com/0d37ZCpFgU
— Aussie Cossack (@aussiecossack) April 15, 2024
The incident took place just after 7 pm local time, according to Sky News Australia.
Numerous private videos depict thousands of Christians trying to get to the stabber protected by police officers. The stabber had some fingers cut off and was beaten before the police could stop the revenge. The man was speaking in Arabic and shouting “Allah Akbar”, according to onsite witnesses.
There is a surge in Australia of people tired of Islamic extremism, both among Christians and Muslims.
Sources
- Australian Jewish Association
- Aussie Cossack: the event, videos, and a Muslim comment
- Sky News: Bishop among several people stabbed in attack during church service