Ultra-conservative Christian leader Mar Mari Emmanuel was delivering his sermon from his church in western Sydney on Monday when a teenager approached the lectern.
The service was being live streamed for his social media followers, who watched on as Bishop Emmanuel faltered and locked eyes with the boy.
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When he was within an arm’s length of Emmanuel, the boy lunged.
Screams rang out from Wakeley’s Christ The Good Shepherd Church, and didn’t stop until late on Monday evening.
As it unfolded
Video live streamed from inside the church showed a scuffle break out between the bishop and the boy, before the congregation rushed to his aid.
The stream cut out as men attempted to pull the pair apart, with the bishop receiving cuts to his head and face.
Four other men suffered cuts in the attack, and detained the teenager while they waited for police.
Police and paramedics arrived at the church just after 7pm, where they began treating those with injuries.
Two men were taken to hospital for their lacerations, while others were treated at the scene.
The boy, who has now been identified as a 16-year-old, was taken by police to an undisclosed location.
Incident sparks riot
Bishop Emmanuel’s stabbing was seen by a number of his viewers on social media as it happened.
As paramedics and police tended to the wounded, hundreds of people began gathering outside of the church.
Described by police as an ’emotional response’ to what unfolded inside the building, the crowd became restless. Nearby homes were damaged and police car windows smashed.
Up to 100 police officers were deployed to break up the crowd, as the chaos unfolded.
Paramedics were forced to take shelter in the church for three-and-a-half hours after coming ‘directly under threat’ from the crowd, NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said.
It is understood the crowd intended to target the teenager involved in the attack.
As unrest grew, the crowd’s attention again turned to police and two officers were later taken to hospital with injuries sustained during the riot.
One was hit by a metal object, and another by a brick and fence paling.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the unrest had been ‘confronting’ and ‘precarious’ for officers, and anyone who became involved in the ensuing riot could expect a visit in coming days.
“Police officers were doing their job and they were attacked, that’s as simple as I can put it,” Commissioner Webb said.
“We will be pursuing all those individuals.”
Bishop Emmanuel was taken to hospital where he is recovering, and the riot broke up late on Monday evening.
The boy involved in the attack remains at an undisclosed location, and has been treated for injuries to his hand.
It is unclear if they were sustained during the melee with congregation members.
The fall out
The response from authorities has been swift.
NSW Premier Chris Minns spoke to the media on Tuesday.
ASIO has also endorsed NSW authorities’ declaration the incident was an act of terrorism, although the teenager involved has not been on any terror watchlist in the past.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said they would be alleging the incident was a ‘religiously motivated violent act’.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened a meeting of the national security subcommittee in the wake of the incident.
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Mr Albanese, Deputy Prime Minster Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and other senior cabinet members, alongside heads of the ADF and ASIO, met in Canberra on Tuesday.