Posters Glorifying Bondi Shooter Naveed Akram Hung Across Melbourne

Around 40 posters depicting Bondi Beach terrorist Naveed Akram were plastered across Melbourne’s central business district in recent days, prompting quick removal by city authorities and fierce condemnation from Jewish leaders and public officials.

The posters deliberately mimicked the visual style of the well-known “Aussie” street art series, using the same bold typography beneath Akram’s image. City officials said the material was unlawfully placed on public infrastructure and treated as hateful content rather than artistic expression.

The appearance of the posters comes less than two months after the December 14 terror attack at a Chanukah gathering on Bondi Beach, where Akram and his father carried out a targeted assault on the Jewish community, killing 15 people and wounding dozens. Jewish organizations said the posters amount to glorification of terrorism and an attempt to intimidate a community still in mourning.

The Anti-Defamation Commission of Australia said the act was a calculated provocation designed to elevate a mass murderer using the language of inclusion. ADC chair Dr. Dvir Abramovich said placing the image of a Bondi terrorist on city walls constituted a continuation of the attack itself.

“This is not street art. This is grave-dancing. Putting the face of a Bondi terrorist on city walls is psychological terrorism aimed at families who are still burying their dead,” Abramovich said. “When you elevate a terrorist, you are not exercising free speech. You are continuing the attack.”

Abramovich called on local authorities to treat the posters as hate material, identify those responsible for printing and distributing them, and refer the findings to police to determine whether criminal charges could be laid.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said the posters were devastating for victims’ families and an affront to Australian values. “The Bondi terrorists will fade into history and their names will be forgotten,” Aghion said. “The people who will be remembered are the victims, the survivors, and the heroes who rushed in to help. They represent the true Aussie spirit.”

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece described the posters as “just sick” and said city staff worked around the clock to remove them once they were reported. Reece said Melbourne now operates under a policy requiring racist and hateful material to be removed within one hour.

“To use the image of the Bondi shooter is just sick. Families are still grieving, the community is still grieving,” Reece said. He added that hijacking the “Aussie” poster format to spread hatred was “absolutely abhorrent” and would not be tolerated.

City officials said all known posters have been removed, while Jewish organizations continue to press for a full investigation to ensure public spaces are not used to glorify terrorism.