Sydney convulsed by riots after priest stabbing

 An unidentified man attacked an Assyrian Orthodox bishop during a service on Monday

Security officers stand guard outside Orthodox Assyrian church in Sydney, Australia, Monday, April 15, 2024. ©  AP Photo/Mark Baker

Clashes have broken out between members of the Assyrian Orthodox community and police in Sydney, Australia after a knife-wielding man attacked and stabbed a prominent cleric on Monday.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, hundreds of people gathered outside the church, presumably believing that the perpetrator was still inside. A police riot squad and a helicopter were quickly deployed to the area in an effort to contain the crowd.

As tensions rose, the mob began throwing projectiles at the officers, with authorities reporting that two were “injured and a number of police vehicles sustained damage.”

One of the officers is said to have been “hit with a metal object and sustained a twisted knee and a chipped tooth,” while his colleague ended up with a fractured jaw after being struck with a brick.

Both have been taken to a hospital.

Sky News Australia, citing reporters at the scene, has said that police used pepper spray outside the church, with dozens of people apparently affected.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described the unfolding events as “disturbing.”

He urged the local community to “remain calm and continue to listen and act to the directions of Police and Emergency Services.”

READ MORE: Man stabs priest during sermon (VIDEO)

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was delivering a sermon which was also being livestreamed, when an unidentified man wearing black approached his podium and stabbed him multiple times. Three parishioners who tried to intervene also reportedly sustained injuries.

According to media reports, the clergyman is in stable condition, with the other victims sustaining non-life-threatening wounds as well. The perpetrator was subdued at the scene and detained by police.

READ MORE: Multiple deaths in Australia mall stabbing (VIDEOS)

Monday’s attack came days after a similar knife rampage at a busy shopping mall in Sydney left six people dead. The suspect was eventually shot dead by police, with authorities describing the incident as likely “related to the mental health” of the attacker.