- Tiffany Turnbull & Simon Atkinson
- BBC News, Sydney
Australian police said on Monday that a stabbing at a Sydney church was a religiously motivated “act of terrorism.”
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after a bishop, priest and parishioners were attacked during mass at the Assyrian Church of the Good Shepherd of Christ.
Police said at least four people suffered “non-life-threatening” injuries. The assailant was also injured.
The incident was captured on the church's livestream and quickly sparked riots in the Wakely suburb.
Australian police define terrorist crimes as ideologically motivated. The investigation is still ongoing, but they say they believe this is a case of religious extremism.
Authorities have repeatedly refused to reveal the religion of the alleged attacker.
Graphic video of the attack and its aftermath spread like wildfire on social media on Monday night, with an angry crowd gathering at an Assyrian Orthodox church about 35 kilometers (35 kilometers) southwest of the city centre.
There, a crowd of several hundred people clashed violently with police guarding the church where the attacker was being treated by paramedics.
Two police officers were injured, one with a broken jaw after being hit by bricks and fence posts, and 10 police cars were destroyed. Emergency workers were also “barricaded'' inside the church for more than three hours, fearing for their safety after being similarly assaulted.
Prime Minister Antony Albanese convened an emergency meeting of national security agencies and described the attack as “alarming”.
“We are a peace-loving country… there is no place for violent extremism.” To quell further violence, he appealed to people “not to take the law into their own hands.”
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told the media on Tuesday morning that the bishop and priest had undergone surgery and were “lucky to be alive”.
The church named the priest Father Isaac Royer and the bishop Mar Marie Emmanuel. Bishop Emmanuel, who was ordained in 2011, is considered a popular and controversial figure, with his sermons viewed millions of times on social media.
Webb said the boy allegedly made “religiously oriented” comments as the bishop approached him, and police said the attack was staged during a live-streamed service “not just as a threat. [to] Not just parishioners who attended, but parishioners who watched online.”
It said the suspect was acting alone and was “known to police” but not on any terrorist watch list.
Police said the suspect was undergoing surgery for a finger injury, but added that it was unclear whether the injury was caused by his own weapon or when he was arrested by the congregation.
The incident comes just days after another unrelated stabbing at a popular Sydney shopping center left seven people dead and shocked the nation.
“New South Wales is in crisis and there is understandable fear in our communities right now,” Premier Chris Minns said. He appealed for a silent and resounding call from religious and community leaders.
“Their message to their communities was universal and the same: they condemn all forms of violence. [and] “We have confidence that NSW Police will take on the investigation,” Mr Minns said.
He added that any attempt at “retaliatory” violence would “be met with the full force of the law.”
A strike force has also been set up to search for rioters, Webb said: “We're going to find you and we're going to arrest you.”
The head of NSW Ambulance also called the crowd's behavior “outrageous”.
“Our staff, who just go there every day to provide care and help, need to know that they have the support of the community,” Dominic Morgan said.
Wakeley is the center of Sydney's small Christian Assyrian community, many of whom have fled persecution and war in Iraq and Syria.
Bishop Emanuel was a prominent leader in his community, and “the kindest; [most] A real, real human being,” local councilor Dai Le said.
However, the bishop has had uneasy relations with the Assyrian church and has reportedly been suspended for failing to follow norms and establishing a breakaway church.
In 2021, he became a vocal opponent of coronavirus restrictions, describing Australia's lockdown as slavery and claiming vaccines were a waste.