SYDNEY, Dec 15 — A wave of online misinformation spread rapidly across social media platforms following the deadly Bondi Beach attack, with users falsely claiming that fireworks in parts of Sydney were set off to celebrate the violence.
The claims circulated after a video showing fireworks lighting up the night sky went viral, with some users alleging the display was organised by “Islamists” in response to the mass shooting at Bondi Beach. Australian authorities and local organisations have since dismissed those allegations as completely untrue.
The Bondi Beach incident, which authorities have classified as an anti-Semitic terrorist attack, occurred during a public Hanukkah celebration that attracted over 1,000 attendees. According to officials, gunmen opened fire on the crowd, killing 15 people and injuring 42 others, making it one of the deadliest attacks in recent Australian history.
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Shortly after the incident, the fireworks video began circulating online, quickly spreading beyond Australia to users in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some posts accused migrants and Muslim communities of celebrating the tragedy, using inflammatory and dehumanising language.
One widely shared post, reposted hundreds of times on X (formerly Twitter), alleged that fireworks in Bankstown, a southwestern Sydney suburb, were a deliberate act of celebration linked to the attack and questioned why police had not intervened.
Similar claims appeared on Facebook, where users asserted—without evidence—that the video showed extremists celebrating the killings at Bondi Beach.
However, community leaders swiftly corrected the record.
The Rotary Club of Padstow, located near Bankstown, confirmed that the fireworks were part of its annual Christmas Carols event, which had been organised months in advance.
“The fireworks were part of our yearly Christmas celebrations,” the organisation said in a statement. “They had absolutely no connection to the Bondi Beach attack.”
The club added that the fireworks display is a long-standing tradition and occurs every year during the festive season.
Bankstown, one of Sydney’s most culturally diverse areas, is home to residents from more than 120 nationalities, according to local records. Despite this diversity, the suburb has increasingly become a focal point for online anti-immigration rhetoric, particularly during moments of national crisis.
Several residents and social media users from the area pushed back strongly against the false claims, calling out those spreading the video for fuelling hatred and division.
“Deliberately sharing misinformation to provoke hostility is shameful,” wrote one X user from the neighbouring suburb of Belmore.
Authorities have urged the public to verify information before sharing content online, warning that misinformation during sensitive moments can escalate tensions and unfairly target entire communities.
— AFP
