SIDNEY– French construction worker Damien Guerot became a permanent resident of Australia on Thursday as reward for his heroism during a knife attack at a Sydney shopping center that left six victims dead and a dozen injured.
Guerot was dubbed “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 center on Saturday and pushing away a knife-wielding Joel Cauchi with a knife. plastic barrier. Cauchi fled via the escalator and the people on Guerot’s floor were safe.
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.
Guerot told Nine Network Television he was happy about the opportunity to remain in Australia, but felt mixed emotions. “It’s just unbelievable,” he said. But he added: “How can I also be happy when… so many people and families… are very sad about your loss?”
Guerot was also filmed brandishing a plastic chair as he ran towards Cauchi after the Police Inspector. Amy Scott. Guerot, along with her French colleague and co-worker Silas Despreaux, were with Scott when she ended Cauchi’s rampage with a fatal shot.
Despreaux, like Guerot, chased Cauchi and threw a barrier at the killer, but did not appear in the images posted on social media or broadcast on the news.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised the duo’s heroism.
“Two of our compatriots behaved like true heroes,” Macron posted in French on social media. “A lot of pride and recognition.”
Albanese told Guerot at a news conference on Monday: “You can stay as long as you want.”
Guerot is someone Australia would welcome as a citizen, Albanese said, “although it would be a loss for France”.
His lawyer, Belinda Robertson, said her client was told the prime minister did not have the power to grant citizenship. However, Guerot was granted permanent residency on Thursday, she said.
Albanese also suggested the citizenship of Pakistani security guard Muhammad Taha, who was stabbed in the stomach when he confronted Cauchi. Taha has a temporary visa that expires within weeks.
“Yes, we certainly will,” Albanese told FiveAA Radio when asked if he would consider citizenship for Taha. “Muhammad Taha, he confronted this guy, the perpetrator, Joel Cauchi, on Saturday. of courage for which we want to thank, frankly.”
Taha said from his hospital bed that he believed he deserved “citizenship recognition and consideration.” Taha also highlighted the work of other guards, saying they should also be offered citizenship. The only man killed in Saturday’s attack was a security guard at the mall, Pakistani refugee Faraz Tahir.
Immigration and Citizenship Minister Andrew Giles did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Westfield Bondi Junction opened to the public on Thursday for the first time since the mass stabbing, but shops remained closed for what is described as a “day of community reflection”. Businesses in one of Australia’s biggest shopping centers will reopen on Friday with greater safety.
The deadly rampage was the first of two knife attacks by lone attackers over three days that traumatized Sydney.
A 16-year-old boy is in police custody after allegedly stabbing a Christian bishop and priest during a church service on Monday. The police allege that the boy had a religious or ideological motivation and attacked him during the broadcast service to cause intimidation.
Police are carrying out major investigations into the shopping center attack, the stabbings at Christ the Good Shepherd Church and the riot that broke out outside the Assyrian Orthodox service as people sought revenge for the attack.
The mall attack is not a criminal investigation, but police are gathering evidence to present to a coroner to investigate the circumstances of the deaths. Five of the dead were women.
The riot investigation made its first arrest on Wednesday night when police removed 19-year-old Dani Mansour from her Sydney home. Police allege that Mansour, a barber, filmed himself kicking two police cars during the riot and then uploaded the footage to his social media account.
He entered no pleas in court on Thursday to charges of affray, causing a disturbance and destroying or damaging property during an incident of public disorder. He faces a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted.
He was released on bail with conditions including not using social media.
Dozens of other alleged protesters are expected to be charged.
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McGuirk reported from Melbourne, Australia
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
