On December 14, a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event near Bondi Beach, Sydney, killed about 15 people and injured dozens after two gunmen opened fire on the crowd; police later detained one suspect.

In the above context, an image of multiple people offering prayers is being widely shared on social media with the claim that it shows Muslims gathering after the Bondi attack.

A social media user shared the image with a caption that reads, “INSANE! Radical Islamists just got together in Melbourne 3 days after 2 radicals SHOT & KILLED 15 people at Bondi Beach in Sydney. We must DEPORT radical Islam RIGHT NOW. Maybe we should stop Australian visas too?!”

SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The image is of Muslims offering Ashura prayers on Ashura day in Melbourne, Australia.

On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by an Instagram user on July 8, with a caption that reads, “10 Muharram Ashura Procession Melbourne Australia.” 

We compared the viral image with the screenshot of the video and found them to be same. We found a boy standing in the front in the viral image, which can be seen in the video too. Moreover, we found the tree too. Thus, suggesting both to be the same. Moreover, we can also see the red banner in the background too.

We also found a video of the event with a different angle, uploaded on a YouTube channel on July 7.

Using the information, we searched for the Ashura celebration in 2025 in Melbourne and found a Facebook page, the Ashura Committee. An announcement post on the page from July 7 stated that Ashura was celebrated in Melbourne in Treasury Gardens on July 7. The bio of this post suggests that it is a nonprofit organisation that supports Shia organisations and annual Ashura and Arbayein processions.

What is Ashura?

Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic lunar calendar, a solemn day for Muslims remembering the martyrdom of Imam Hussain at Karbala — a defining moment in Shia Islam and a spiritually significant day for many Muslims worldwide.

In Australia, Muslim communities in cities like Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra hold processions and gatherings where people pray, march, and reflect on themes of sacrifice, justice and faith.

While we could not confirm the purpose of the gathering, we can ascertain that the viral video is old and unrelated to the Bondi attack.