Twelve men captured on video outside a church in Sydney’s west are among 50 people police are searching for after a major riot that injured dozens of officers.
Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Father Isaac Royel were stabbed during a live-streamed sermon at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley last Monday night.
A 16-year-old boy has since been charged with a terrorism offense over the stabbings.
Twelve men captured on video outside a church in Sydney’s west are among 50 people police are searching for after a riot that injured dozens of officers.
Immediately after the attack, a large crowd gathered at the church as people tried to restrain the attacker.
Dozens of police officers were injured, their cars were vandalized and some officers and paramedics were forced to take shelter inside the place of worship.
Three men have been charged and police are focusing on about 50 people involved in the violence.
On Monday, the force released images of 12 men they want to question over the violent melee.
A man, Caucasian in appearance and wearing black jeans cut at the ankle and a black shirt around his face, has a distinctive tattoo of Jesus Christ on his stomach and a sleeve tattoo on his left arm.
Another is described as being of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, with dark brown hair and a beard.
He is shown wearing a black sweater, gray pants, black shoes and a gray shoulder bag.
Superintendent Andrew Evans said the 12 men in the images were wanted “due to the violent and aggressive nature of their actions”.
“We are doing everything we can to identify these men and are now asking for public help,” he said.
“Someone in the community knows who they are.”
Religious leaders are calling for calm as police hope high-visibility patrols in the region will calm simmering community tensions.
Dozens of officers have been assigned to investigate the riot, during which some members of the crowd attempted to access the alleged attacker while he was held inside the church.
Investigators are collecting evidence, including mobile phones and CCTV cameras, to identify those involved.
Dani Mansour, from Doonside, was the first person to be charged over the public disorder incident.
The 19-year-old said he made a mistake but was “angry” at the officers.
Mansour allegedly filmed himself kicking two police cars during the riot before uploading the footage to Instagram.