Australia - December 2025

On 14 December, two gunmen fatally shot 16 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney. The shooting is Australia’s deadliest in nearly thirty years and follows an increase in antisemitic hate crimes. In response, the New South Wales Parliament passed the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 on 24 December. The bill restricts certain types of gun use, imposes stricter licensing and vetting processes and proposes a gun buyback scheme where Australians can dispose of illegally-owned firearms. The bill also gives police the power to restrict public protests for up to three months following terrorist attacks and prohibits the display of symbols of prohibited terrorist organizations. Further hate speech rules are planned for 2026. While rights experts support the gun law reforms, they criticize the restrictions on protests and expression as disproportionate. Activists plan to challenge the anti-protest laws.