Australian police said they would increase their force at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the fifth Ashes Test which begins on Sunday, weeks after gunmen killed 15 people at a Jewish event in the city.
The father and son gunmen allegedly carried out the attack during a Hanukkah event at the popular Bondi Beach on December 14. Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost three decades has shocked the nation and stoked fears of rising anti-Semitism in the country.
The massacre prompted more active policing in Sydney, Australia’s most populous city and the capital of New South Wales state.
Authorities on Saturday announced a “high visibility” police presence for the marquee cricket series between Australia and England, which takes place every two years.
Measures taken at the cricket ground, about 5km from Bondi Beach, are understood to include the riot patrol unit, officers on horseback and officers carrying rifles.
“The difference will be the visibility of long guns and a stronger presence,” New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said in a statement. statement.
Police said they were expecting a capacity crowd for the first day of the match, the final encounter in Australia’s already claimed five-match series.
“Many people may not be used to seeing police officers carrying rifles at sporting events, but our goal here is to help the public feel safe,” Lanyon said.
Cricket Australia said first responders to the attack and “community members who acted courageously” would be honored before the start of the match on Sunday.
There will be a guard of honor on the field and a round of applause for “emergency response agencies and community members facing extreme danger,” the governing body said in a statement.
On Wednesday, around 3,000 police officers, some carrying long weapons, were deployed to the city during New Year’s celebrations, which typically attract more than a million revelers.
Several New Year’s events planned in Bondi were canceled, while traditional Christmas celebrations were muted, following the attack which authorities say was inspired by the Sunni Muslim militant group Islamic State.
