A bishop has been attacked in a stabbing incident at a church in Sydney’s west, sparking unrest and a large police response.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley on Monday evening when a man allegedly approached the altar and stabbed him multiple times.
Horrifying footage of the incident, which was being broadcast live on the church’s YouTube page, shows Bishop Emmanuel looking up in astonishment as the attacker suddenly rains down blows on his face and head.
The alleged attack has sparked unrest outside the church, with hundreds of people gathering in protest and hurling bottles and bricks at a hastily-erected police barrier.
Chants of ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘bring him out’ could be heard from the crowd, who believe the alleged attacker is still inside the building.
NSW Ambulance said that four people were injured in the incident and had been taken to hospital.
Following the alleged stabbing, groups of police officers, completely outnumbered, huddled together as bottles and bricks were hurled at them.
Footage on social media appeared to show a ladder being used to smash down a window of the church, and some in the crowd cheered as car windows were smashed.
Police tried to hold a perimeter in nearby Welcome Park but were broken on a number of occasions by rioters who ran towards the church.
They then deployed tear gas to allow their officers to move out of the area, with some of those gathered heard shouting ‘they attack us with gas’.
The incident comes just 48 hours after six people were murdered in Westfield Bondi Junction by a crazed knifeman.
A spokesperson for NSW Police said Bishop Emmanuel suffered ‘non-life threatening injuries’ and that a male had been arrested and was assisting with inquiries.
Bishop Emmanuel has a large flock on social media, with over 17,000 followers on Facebook, and has gained notoriety during the pandemic for his criticism of Sydney’s Covid lockdown and claims about vaccines.
Christ The Good Shepherd Church has almost 200,000 subscribers on YouTube.
