French hero of shopping centre attack given Australian residency
FRENCH construction worker Damien Guerot has been made a permanent resident of Australia as a reward for his heroism during a knife attack in a Sydney shopping centre that left six victims dead and a dozen wounded.
Mr Guerot was nicknamed Bollard Man on social media after security camera footage showed the 31-year-old standing at the top of an escalator at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre on Saturday and warding off knife-wielding Joel Cauchi with a plastic barrier post.
Cauchi fled down the escalator and people on Mr Guerot’s floor were safe.
Mr Guerot’s temporary Australian work visa was due to expire in July until Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intervened with an invitation to settle in Australia.
The construction worker told Nine Network Television he was happy about the opportunity to stay in Australia but felt mixed emotions.
Mr Guerit said: “It’s just unbelievable. But how can I be also happy when many people and families are very sad for their loss?”
Mr Guerot was also filmed brandishing a plastic chair as he ran towards Cauchi behind police inspector Amy Scott.
Mr Guerot, along with fellow French national and work colleague Silas Despreaux, were with Ms Scott when she ended Cauchi’s rampage with a fatal shot.
Mr Despreaux, like Mr Guerot, had chased Cauchi and threw a barrier post at the killer but did not appear on footage posted on social media or broadcast by the news. However, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the heroism of the pair.
“Two of our compatriots behaved like true heroes,” Mr Macron posted in French on social media. “Very great pride and recognition.”
Through a news conference, Mr Albanese told Mr Guerot: “You are welcome to stay for as long as you like.” Mr Albanese added that Mr Guerot is someone Australia would welcome as a citizen, “although that would be a loss for France”.
His lawyer, Belinda Robertson, had said the prime minister did not have the power to grant citizenship but Mr Guerot was granted permanent residency yesterday, she said.
Mr Albanese also mentioned citizenship for Pakistani security guard Muhammad Taha, who was stabbed in the stomach when he confronted Cauchi.
Mr Taha holds a temporary visa that is due to expire within weeks.
“Yes, we certainly will,” Mr Albanese said in an interview when asked if he would consider citizenship for Mr
Taha.
“Muhammad Taha, he confronted this guy, the perpetrator, Joel Cauchi, and it just shows extraordinary courage. That’s the sort of courage that we want to say thank you to, frankly.”
Mr Taha said from his hospital bed he deserved “recognition and consideration for citizenship”. He highlighted the other guards, too, saying they should also be offered citizenship.
The only male killed in Saturday’s attack was a security guard, Pakistani refugee Faraz Tahir.
Westfield Bondi Junction was opened to the public yesterday for the first time since the attack, but shops remained closed for what is described as a “community reflection day”.
Businesses reopen today with heightened security.
The deadly rampage was the first of two knife attacks by lone assailants over three days that have traumatised Sydney.
A 16-year-old boy is in police custody over the stabbing of a bishop and priest during a church service on Monday.
Police say the boy had a religious or ideological motivation and attacked during the streamed service to cause intimidation.
Police are conducting major investigations into the shopping centre attack, the stabbings at the Christ the Good Shepherd Church and a riot outside the Orthodox Assyrian service as people sought revenge.
The shopping centre attack is not a criminal investigation, but police are gathering evidence to present to a coroner to investigate the circumstances of the six killings, five of whom were women.
The investigation into the riot led to a first arrest late on Wednesday of 19-year-old Dani Mansour from
Sydney.
He did not enter pleas in court yesterday to charges of rioting during a public disorder incident.
He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted. He was released on bail with conditions including that he does not use social media.
You are welcome to stay for as long as you like