Photo Credit; Getty Images
As Sydney celebrates the New Year, thousands of heavily armed police officers have been deployed to patrol the streets—an unusual sight for Australia following the tragic Bondi Beach mass shooting. These heightened security measures include the rare authorization for some officers to carry high-grade weapons. The surge in security comes in direct response to the December 14 attack, which targeted a Hanukkah festival and resulted in the deaths of 15 members of the Jewish community.
Official New Year's Eve parties were paused at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute's silence to commemorate the victims of the attack, while the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up by a white light to symbolise peace.
Pictures from Sydney Harbour - where huge crowds gather every year to watch the city's famous fireworks display - show officers patrolling the crowds with longarm weapons.
In the lead up to the event, Premier Chris Minns had warned that some people may find the sight "confronting", with police "carrying firearms and weapons that you haven't seen before".
"But I don't make any apology for that. We want people to be safe in our community," he added.
Separately, Minns had urged Sydneysiders to not let the "horrible criminal terrorist event" at Bondi change the way they live, as he called on people to "show defiance" and celebrate the new year. This sentiment was shared by some of the spectators.
Hours ahead of the countdown, hundreds of thousands of people flocked towards the harbour, with many official viewing areas filling to capacity by early evening. On the harbour, sailboats dotted the water - one of the best spots to watch the midnight fireworks display.
Sydney's celebration - with its iconic fireworks display - kicks off a chain of events, from Dubai, to London and New York.
New South Wales (NSW) Police said more than 2,500 officers would be on duty across the city.
