Prime Minister says ‘Bollard Man’ would be welcomed as Australian citizen

Anthony Albanese says the heroic civilian who confronted a mass killer on the weekend is “welcome to stay for as long as you like”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the French national dubbed “Bollard Man” after his act of bravery during Saturday’s mass killing in Sydney would be welcomed as an Australian citizen.

Damien Guerot was shopping inside Westfield Bondi Junction when schizophrenic Joel Cauchi, 40, went on a horrific stabbing rampage on Saturday afternoon.

Six people were killed, as well as the attacker, with many more injured during the mass stabbing inside the packed shopping centre.

In footage that was widely shared in the aftermath of the attack, Mr Guerot could be seen fending off the knifeman with the use of a bollard he’d picked up off the ground.

It’s understood he was preventing the attacker from reaching an area where dozens of children had been playing.

He was immediately hailed as a hero on social media, where he was dubbed “Bollard Man”.

The famous incident on Saturday.

Cauchi was attempting to enter a new floor.

Mr Albanese today thanked Mr Guerot for his “extraordinary bravery” and encouraged him to become an official Australian.

“I say this to Damien Guerot, who is dealing with, his visa application, that you are welcome here,” he said.

“You are welcome to stay for as long as you like, this is someone who we would welcome becoming an Australian citizen.”

The prime minister said the actions of bystanders like Mr Guerot during the horrific Bondi Junction attack showed “the best of human character”.

“It says a lot about the nature of humanity at a time when we are facing difficult issues, that someone who is not a citizen of this country stood bravely at the top of those escalators and stopped, this perpetrator from getting onto another floor and potentially inflicting further carnage on citizens,” he said.

Damien Guerot has spoken about the incident. Picture: 7 News

Mr Guerot told 7 News this week how he stared into Cauchi’s “empty eyes” as he confronted the killer.

He went to the shopping centre with fellow French tradie Silas Despreaux to attend the gym before the horrific scenes unfolded.

Silas Despreaux was with his friend Damien Guerot at the time.

Silas was filmed helping protect people.

Both men are believed to have confronted Cauchi and helped lead Inspector Amy Scott to the armed man.

“We just saw him coming … we were thinking, ‘We need to try to stop him’,” he said.

“We tried to throw the bollard. We really wanted to stop him.”

Mr Guerot was later captured on video holding a chair and running just behind Inspector Scott as they sprinted toward Cauchi’s latest location.

Mr Guerot said Inspector Scott, the lone cop who fatally shot Cauchi, was “the real hero”.

A man blocks Joel Cauchi from approaching a family. Picture: 9 News

Bondi Rescue lifeguard Andrew Reid was at the shopping centre and helped provide first aid to some of the victims.

Mr Reid said he and medical personnel were just “doing what we know”, and that others should be praised for their heroic actions.

“But, you know, for me, some of the real heroes are the police officer woman that brought him down, the guy with the bollard,” he said.

“Like, are you kidding me? Like, he kept him at bay. You know, that would have given time for more police to get there, for more people to get out of there.

“Like, he’s an absolute legend.”

There were many acts of bravery from civilians who found themselves in the middle of the terrifying rampage on Saturday afternoon.

In another incident caught on camera, a man turned to face Cauchi as he ran toward shoppers including a woman and two children.

Instead of running away, the man protected the family by fronting the attacker, who veered off in a different direction.