Australian Police Clarify Misleading Video After Bondi Stabbing

False Claims Link Religious Gathering to Bondi Beach Terror Attack

In the wake of the December 14 terrorist attack at Bondi Beach that left at least 15 people dead and dozens injured, misleading social media posts have attempted to connect the tragedy to an unrelated religious gathering that took place months earlier.

Several viral posts circulating on Facebook and other platforms have shared images showing hundreds of Muslims kneeling in prayer at a Melbourne park. These posts falsely claim the images depict “radical Islamists” gathering “just three days after” the Bondi Beach shootings.

“INSANE! Radical Islamists just got together in Melbourne 3 days after 2 radicals SHOT & K*LLED 15 people at Bondi Beach in Sydney,” reads one widely shared post, accompanied by images of people praying in an outdoor setting.

However, a fact-check investigation reveals these images actually show a peaceful religious procession that took place in July 2025, approximately five months before the Bondi Beach attack. The photographs appear to be screenshots taken from a TikTok video posted on July 7, 2025, the same day as the event.

The images in question match specific frames from the TikTok video—the first image corresponds to the three-second mark of the clip, while the second image matches footage at 19 seconds. Additional video evidence of the same gathering was posted to YouTube on July 8, 2025, filmed from a similar angle and showing the same event.

The gathering depicted in these images was identified as part of Melbourne’s 12th annual Ashura procession, a significant religious observance in the Islamic calendar with particular importance for Shia Muslims. Participants had assembled lawfully at Treasury Gardens in Melbourne’s CBD for this religious commemoration.

Ashura is one of the holiest days in the Islamic lunar calendar, particularly for Shia Muslims who gather to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. These processions are peaceful religious observances that occur worldwide each year.

The deliberate mischaracterization of these images represents a concerning trend of misinformation that has emerged following the Bondi Beach attack. By falsely linking a peaceful religious gathering to a terrorist incident, these posts potentially inflame community tensions and promote unwarranted suspicion toward Muslim Australians.

The Bondi Beach attack, which occurred during Hanukkah celebrations, has shocked the nation and prompted an outpouring of grief. As authorities continue their investigation into the shooting, accurate information remains crucial for public understanding and community cohesion.

This is not the first instance where religious gatherings have been misrepresented in the aftermath of tragic events. Such misinformation can contribute to heightened community tensions and undermine social cohesion during times when factual reporting is most essential.

Social media platforms continue to grapple with the rapid spread of false information during crisis events, highlighting the importance of verification before sharing content, particularly during sensitive periods following violent incidents.

For those seeking to verify information about public events and gatherings, official government announcements, credible news organizations, and fact-checking services provide reliable resources to distinguish between factual reporting and misleading claims.