Countdown 's Rachel Riley has apologised following a controversial tweet about the Sydney mall stabbings, leading to calls for Channel 4 to dismiss her. The Countdown star was accused of promoting Islamophobia when she incorrectly suggested that the terrifying attack was a Palestinian uprising.
The dreadful killing spree, which resulted in six fatalities on Saturday, was perpetrated by Joel Cauchi, 40, from Queensland, who police confirmed had mental health issues. Police assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke announced in a press conference that the assailant had been fatally shot by an officer.
Despite referencing the original tweet - which claimed the shopping mall assault was due to a "globalised Infitada" - in her apology, it appears the post is no longer accessible. In an extensive statement, she expressed regret if her comment had been "misunderstood".
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Rachel Riley MBE is under fire ((Image: Getty))"Just to clarify, my intention with this tweet was not to say this attack was caused by any ideation or to link it to Islamic extremism," she penned. "At the time we did not know who the attacker was, and as such I made no reference. My aim was to highlight the weekly calls for "intifada" being tolerated in London and around the world, which in actuality means violence on our streets. For six months now, I have avoided taking the Tube, or going with my kids to anywhere near the marches each Saturday, and each week we see the extremist chants on proud display with little outcry.
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"Sadly, the type of attack seen in Sydney yesterday is exactly the kind of violence the previous intifada involved and I hope to avoid in future, but in my opinion ignoring the problem won't make it go away. Attacks on Jews have recently become repackaged as 'resistance' in some circles, and we should in one voice condemn all acts of violence, whoever the perpetrators and whoever the victims.
"I am sorry if this message was misunderstood, that was not my intention."
Rachel Riley has publicly apologised for a social media message ((Image: Getty))She restricted those who could comment on the post to only those who she follows, or are mentioned in the tweet.
Rachel frequently speaks out about antisemitism and was appointed a MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to Holocaust education.
The horror attack in Sydney sent ripples around the world as news website news.com. au reported witnesses claiming a man began stabbing shoppers at random and The Australian website reported that a nine-month-old baby was among those who were stabbed.
It was a bloodbath at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction centre, where an attacker stabbed to death six individuals and injured several more approximately at 3.30pm.
In the gripping moments as the murderer was shot dead by a brave policewoman, Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said: "She confronted the offender who had moved by this stage to level five as she continued to walk quickly behind him to catch up with him. He turned faced her raised a knife. She discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased."
Assistant Commissioner Cooke also expressed that detectives haven't ruled out terrorism just yet but found nothing at the crime scene to point to a "motive or any ideology" propelling the gruesome mass murder.
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