Remembering the Deadly Lindt Siege in Sydney a Decade Later
The 10-year anniversary of the Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney brings back memories of the tragic events that unfolded on December 15, 2014
Sydney, Australia, Lindt Cafe, Tori Johnson, Katrina Dawson, Man Haron Monis
Sydney: It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since that awful day at the Lindt Cafe. A guy walked in with a gun, ordered cheesecake, and everything changed.
After 16 hours of terror, two hostages lost their lives in a shootout that shocked the nation. It was all over the news, and people were glued to their screens.
On December 15, 2014, Man Haron Monis took 18 people hostage, creating chaos in Martin Place. He made them call the police, claiming he had bombs and was acting for ISIS.
It was surreal. Hostages were forced to hold a flag at the windows, and those images are still burned in our memories.
In the end, Monis shot cafe manager Tori Johnson, and barrister Katrina Dawson was killed by police fire. It was heartbreaking.
After the siege, Martin Place was filled with flowers as people came to pay their respects. It was a beautiful, yet sad tribute to those who lost their lives.
Now, the cafe is gone, replaced by a Dan Murphy’s wine store. But there’s still a small memorial with flowers to remember the victims.
The NSW government has set up a new exhibition with photos of the floral tributes, reminding us of the community’s support during that dark time.
An inquest followed, revealing many issues, like police response times and the fact that Monis was out on bail. Changes have been made since then to improve how Australia handles such threats.