Police said there was “a degree of premeditation” as the male attacker travelled to the church, far from his home, with a knife. But Webb said police at this early stage of the investigation believe the attacker was acting alone.
Emergency crews said they attended around 30 people after the clash outside the church, and seven were taken to hospitals with injuries. Several police were hospitalised with injuries and 20 police vehicles were damaged, Webb said.
It was the second major stabbing attack in just three days in Australia’s most populous city after six people were killed in a knife attack at a beachside mall in the Bondi area on Saturday.
Bishop Emmanuel, whose live-streamed sermons attract a global audience, was speaking during an evening service when a man lunged at him with a knife, according to video footage.
Clips of the bishop’s sermons rack up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and TikTok. He became well known for his hardline views during the pandemic when he described COVID-19 lockdowns as “mass slavery”, media reported at the time.
New South Wales state Premier Chris Minns urged people to not take the law into their hands.
“You will be met by the full force of the law if there’s any attempt for tit-for-tat violence in Sydney over the coming days,” Minns told reporters.
Source: CNA
