This weekend marks 10 years since the Lindt Café siege, a devastating event that unfolded in Sydney’s Martin Place on December 15, 2014.
Gunman Man Haron Monis took 18 hostages during the 16-hour standoff, which tragically ended in the deaths of two hostages, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, as well as Monis himself.
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A decade on from the incident, we interviewed our very own Antoinette Lattouf, who was a television reporter at the time and heavily pregnant, covering the harrowing developments from the scene that day.
The event left deep scars on those who witnessed it. Lattouf, who reported live from the scene, reflected on the day, saying: “It was a mixture of disbelief and fear. Events like this don’t happen in Australia.”
“The cameraman’s on the way. We’re sending as many people as we can. And that’s what we saw. We just saw all news outlets descend on Martin Place to prepare for the worst,” Lattouf recalled.
“It was weeks later that I started experiencing insomnia and anxiety attacks, which later led to a diagnosis of postnatal depression and anxiety. Through years of therapy, we unpacked that I probably hadn’t fully processed what was happening,” she added.
Ten years later, the siege remains a stark reminder of the need for careful responses to acts of violence and the dangers of quick political labelling.
“The thing is, because it was not only a national story, it became a story of global significance.”
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