SYDNEY (Reuters) – A French national who confronted a knife-wielding attacker during a confrontation at a shopping center in the Sydney suburb of Bondi is welcome to stay in Australia for as long as he wishes, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday .
Six people were killed and 12 injured in Saturday’s attack on the beachfront mall, one of the worst violent crimes in the city in recent years. The attacker, identified as Joel Cauchi, was taken down by Inspector Amy Scott, who confronted him alone during her rampage.
The Frenchman, Damien Guerot, was seen in video images circulated online lifting a shopping center bollard to try to stop Cauchi from injuring more people.
Guerot later told local news networks that he had a work visa set to expire in a couple of months.
“I say this to Damien Guerot, who is dealing with your visa applications, that you are welcome here,” Albanese said at a news conference, responding to a question about his heroics.
“You can stay as long as you want.”
He added: “This is someone we would welcome to become an Australian citizen, although that would obviously be a loss to France. We thank him for his extraordinary courage.”