Bondi Junction Westfield reopens for ‘day of reflection’: Community gathers to mourn lives lost in Joel Cauchi stabbing horror

The atmosphere was solemn at Westfield Bondi Junction on Thursday as NSW Premier Chris Minns and Karen Webb arrived at the center to lay a wreath.

The public waited outside the mall entrance along with media crews and Westfield security on Thursday morning.

People began to quietly arrive downtown around 11 a.m. to take the escalators to the fourth level, where six large wreaths of white roses had been placed.

After a few minutes, the mourners had left several bouquets under the wreaths.

The people remained silent as three women placed a large bouquet of flowers.

One of the women began to cry as her followers carried her away from the monument.

Some mourners chose to write messages in a book of condolences prepared for the public, while others walked silently through the shopping complex.

The public was encouraged to wear black ribbon memorial pins to wear as a symbol of respect to remember the victims.

Security guards, Westfield staff and police officers closely followed the procedures.

The shopping center will be open to the public on Thursday from 11am to 5pm so the community can pay their respects following Saturday’s horrific stabbing.

Six lives were lost at the hands of Joel Cauchi, 40 years old, who ran through the center terrorizing shoppers armed with a large knife.

He was shot dead by New South Wales Police Inspector Amy Scott.

The six victims being honored are new mom ashlee good38, bride-to-be Dawn Singleton, 25, mother-of-two Jade Young, 47, artist Pikria Darchia, 55, Chinese national Yixuan Cheng, 27, and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30.

Community members will be able to walk through the center on Thursday while a section is set up to lay flowers and wreaths.

New music will be played at Westfield and a black tape will be displayed on advertising platforms instead.

Commerce will return on Friday for stores that decide to reopen.

Mourners walked silently through the mall, paying their respects to the murdered victims.

Black tape was displayed on advertising platforms and no music was played in the center.

Mourners were encouraged to bring a black ribbon to pin to their clothing as a sign of respect.

Australian women are swooning over a French hero who took to a bollard and bravely faced the Westfield Bondi Junction knife on Saturday afternoon.

Damien Guerot was going to the gym with his French compatriot Silas Despreaux when they stumbled upon the scene of the massacre.

Guerot grabbed a retractable barrier and confronted the killer Joel Cauchi, 40, as he advanced menacingly down an escalator.

A security guard who was stabbed in the stomach after bravely confronting knife-crazed Joel Cauchi during his stabbing spree has been given new hope by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he fights to gain Australian citizenship.

Muhammad Taha, a Pakistani migrant, was patrolling the fourth floor of the mall on Saturday afternoon when Cauchi began stabbing shoppers around 3:20 p.m.

The Prime Minister said he would like to thank Mr Taha for his bravery and suggested his government could allow Mr Taha to remain in Australia permanently.

New tenants will not have to pay rent from last Saturday until this Friday, Westfield Bondi Junction operator Scentre Group said.

It comes after Saturday’s deadly stabbing, which left six people dead in addition to the attacker.

Stores can open to the public on Friday.

A day of reflection will be held in the center on Thursday, with businesses still closed.