A Frenchman who heroically repelled the assailant who fatally stabbed six people in a Sydney shopping center on Saturday using a pole will be offered Australian citizenship, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday. “I tell Damien Guerot, who takes care of his visa applications, that he is welcome here and that he can stay as long as he wants,” said Anthony Albanese.
The Prime Minister praised Damien Guerot, thanking him for his “extraordinary bravery” when he confronted Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old mentally ill man, on an escalator to prevent him from doing more victims. “He is someone we would happily welcome as an Australian citizen, although of course it would be a loss for France. We thank him for his extraordinary bravery,” he added.
“It says a lot about human nature”
Damien Guerot has been nicknamed “the man at the pole” and described as a “hero” for intervening in Saturday’s stabbing attack at a busy Sydney shopping centre. “It says a lot about human nature, when we face difficult issues, that a person who is not a citizen of this country stood courageously at the top of that escalator and stopped this attacker from gaining a another floor and potentially commit further carnage,” said Anthony Albanese.
Five women and a Pakistani security guard were killed in the attack, which was not blamed on terrorism. Police are investigating whether the attacker specifically targeted women. Anthony Albanese wanted to salute the mutual assistance between strangers in the face of this outburst of violence and the bravery of police officer Amy Scott, who, alone, tracked down the attacker and shot him dead. “I think on Saturday we saw the best of human nature at the same time as devastating tragedy,” he observed.