Sydney: Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hit the headlines on Tuesday by proposing the idea of granting citizenship to Damien Guerot, the Frenchman who bravely confronted a knife-wielding attacker in a Sydney mall using nothing but a bollard. Guerot’s actions during the tragic incident, which resulted in six deaths and numerous injuries, earned him the nickname “bollard man” and widespread praise for his heroic intervention.

Anthony Albanese Lauds Guerot For ‘Extraordinary Bravery’

Showering praise on Guerot, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed gratitude for his “extraordinary bravery” in preventing the 40-year-old stabber from attacking more victims.

“I say this to Damien Guerot who is dealing with his visa applications, that you are welcome here, you are welcome to stay for as long as you like,” Albanese said.

“This is someone who we would welcome becoming an Australian citizen, although that would of course be a loss for France. We thank him for his extraordinary bravery. It says a lot about the nature of humanity at a time when we are facing difficult issues, that someone who is not a citizen of this country stood bravely at the top of those escalators and stopped this perpetrator from getting onto another floor and potentially inflicting further carnage on citizens,” Albanese added.

Bondi Junction Stabbing

Earlier on Saturday, a man stabbed six people to death at a busy Sydney shopping centre Saturday before he was fatally shot, police said, with hundreds fleeing the chaotic scene, many weeping as they carried their children.

Eight people, including a 9-month-old, were injured.