1 00:00:10,654 --> 00:00:13,294 Speaker 1: You're listening to a Muma Mea podcast. 2 00:00:14,134 --> 00:00:17,214 Speaker 2: Mumma Mea acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters 3 00:00:17,254 --> 00:00:20,494 Speaker 2: that this podcast is recorded on high Quickie friends Clare 4 00:00:20,574 --> 00:00:22,494 Speaker 2: Murphy here back in your ears today to share a 5 00:00:22,534 --> 00:00:26,094 Speaker 2: special listening recommendation from our good mate Mere Friedman over 6 00:00:26,134 --> 00:00:28,414 Speaker 2: on the No Filter podcast. Not sure if you're aware, 7 00:00:28,414 --> 00:00:31,494 Speaker 2: but today marks the ten year anniversary of the Lint 8 00:00:31,574 --> 00:00:35,854 Speaker 2: Cafe siege. On this day in twenty fourteen, Man harn Monis, 9 00:00:35,894 --> 00:00:39,294 Speaker 2: a refugee from Iran who'd become an Australian citizen, took 10 00:00:39,414 --> 00:00:43,694 Speaker 2: eighteen people hostage at the Sydney cafe. Hostages were forced 11 00:00:43,694 --> 00:00:45,734 Speaker 2: to stand in front of the windows to shield the 12 00:00:45,854 --> 00:00:49,014 Speaker 2: terrorist inside, who'd put a black Islamic flag up to 13 00:00:49,054 --> 00:00:52,854 Speaker 2: make it clear that this was a politically motivated terror attack. 14 00:00:53,614 --> 00:00:57,174 Speaker 2: For more than sixteen hours, Australia watched on as the 15 00:00:57,214 --> 00:01:00,574 Speaker 2: siege was beamed into our lound rooms courtesy of Channel seven, 16 00:01:00,894 --> 00:01:04,574 Speaker 2: whose studios were situated directly across the mall from the cafe. 17 00:01:05,014 --> 00:01:07,174 Speaker 2: We held our breath as we watched some of the 18 00:01:07,214 --> 00:01:10,174 Speaker 2: hostages make a quick escape out of kitchen door safety. 19 00:01:10,534 --> 00:01:12,814 Speaker 2: It felt like a physical blow when we learned that 20 00:01:12,854 --> 00:01:16,054 Speaker 2: cafe manager Torrey Johnston had been shot and killed by 21 00:01:16,094 --> 00:01:19,734 Speaker 2: the terrorist. When police finally decided to move in after 22 00:01:19,734 --> 00:01:22,694 Speaker 2: a hail of bullets, Man Haran Monas would be dead. 23 00:01:23,294 --> 00:01:27,574 Speaker 2: Barrister Katrina Dawson would also be killed, caught in the crossfire. 24 00:01:28,094 --> 00:01:30,934 Speaker 2: If you ask most Australians, they'll be able to recall 25 00:01:30,974 --> 00:01:33,334 Speaker 2: where they were at the time of this siege. For 26 00:01:33,414 --> 00:01:36,094 Speaker 2: most of us, it was the first time that terrorism 27 00:01:36,214 --> 00:01:38,414 Speaker 2: was this close to home and not in some far 28 00:01:38,574 --> 00:01:42,294 Speaker 2: flung place. For Luisa Hope, one of the hostages, it 29 00:01:42,334 --> 00:01:45,134 Speaker 2: was the day her life would change forever. Mia Friedman 30 00:01:45,214 --> 00:01:47,734 Speaker 2: sat down with Luisa on the fifth anniversary of the siege, 31 00:01:47,934 --> 00:01:50,334 Speaker 2: reflecting on how she felt in that moment and in 32 00:01:50,374 --> 00:01:54,494 Speaker 2: the years it followed, including the overwhelming care and compassion 33 00:01:54,494 --> 00:01:57,174 Speaker 2: that she received after being shot and injured during the 34 00:01:57,214 --> 00:02:00,174 Speaker 2: events of December fifteenth, twenty fourteen. 35 00:02:00,694 --> 00:02:04,414 Speaker 3: Take a listen. You have that moment where you go, well, 36 00:02:04,454 --> 00:02:07,494 Speaker 3: this is it. I remember thinking, survived this whole day 37 00:02:07,614 --> 00:02:08,974 Speaker 3: and now we're going to die right. 38 00:02:08,854 --> 00:02:12,454 Speaker 1: Now From Mamma Mia, I'm Meya Friedman, and you're listening 39 00:02:12,454 --> 00:02:16,294 Speaker 1: to No Filter, a podcast about people with fascinating stories 40 00:02:16,294 --> 00:02:20,614 Speaker 1: to tell. When Louisa Hope walked into Sydney's Link Cafe 41 00:02:20,814 --> 00:02:24,374 Speaker 1: five years ago, she never expected her life would change 42 00:02:24,374 --> 00:02:29,054 Speaker 1: within minutes. It began as a very ordinary day, but 43 00:02:29,174 --> 00:02:32,054 Speaker 1: over the next seventeen hours, Louisa and her mother were 44 00:02:32,054 --> 00:02:35,974 Speaker 1: held at gunpoint and trapped along with sixteen other hostages, 45 00:02:36,374 --> 00:02:40,534 Speaker 1: before the siege ended in gunfire and tragedy. If you're 46 00:02:40,574 --> 00:02:43,574 Speaker 1: anything like me, I bet you remember exactly what you 47 00:02:43,614 --> 00:02:46,694 Speaker 1: were doing that day when you heard that a terrorist 48 00:02:46,774 --> 00:02:49,934 Speaker 1: was holding people hostage in a cafe in the middle 49 00:02:49,974 --> 00:02:53,494 Speaker 1: of the Sydney CBD, mere meters from a TV station. 50 00:02:54,654 --> 00:02:57,254 Speaker 1: But what went on inside the Link Cafe that long 51 00:02:57,414 --> 00:03:01,894 Speaker 1: day and dark night, and what happened afterwards to the survivors? 52 00:03:02,654 --> 00:03:07,774 Speaker 1: How did they recover? Did they recover? Louisa Hope is 53 00:03:07,814 --> 00:03:10,654 Speaker 1: one of those rare people I've met only a few 54 00:03:10,694 --> 00:03:14,414 Speaker 1: times in my life. It's like it's like she's lit 55 00:03:14,454 --> 00:03:17,414 Speaker 1: from within. I'm not sure what it is, but this 56 00:03:17,534 --> 00:03:21,454 Speaker 1: is honestly one of the most extraordinary conversations I've ever had, 57 00:03:21,934 --> 00:03:24,694 Speaker 1: and Louisa is quite simply one of the most riveting 58 00:03:24,734 --> 00:03:28,094 Speaker 1: people I've interviewed. In the four years since this podcast, began. 59 00:03:29,094 --> 00:03:34,054 Speaker 1: Here is the very aptly named Louisa Hope. I know 60 00:03:34,094 --> 00:03:37,294 Speaker 1: that Lee Sales interviewed you for her book An Ordinary Day. 61 00:03:37,894 --> 00:03:40,774 Speaker 1: It was an ordinary day, yes, so everybody that was there. 62 00:03:40,974 --> 00:03:43,654 Speaker 1: There was nothing special about it at all in the beginning. 63 00:03:43,734 --> 00:03:46,694 Speaker 1: How did the day start for you and your mum? 64 00:03:47,014 --> 00:03:49,734 Speaker 3: So, Mum and I were we had come to town 65 00:03:49,774 --> 00:03:52,254 Speaker 3: the night before actually because we had an appointment at 66 00:03:52,254 --> 00:03:54,534 Speaker 3: the lawyer who happened to be in the same building 67 00:03:54,574 --> 00:03:57,934 Speaker 3: as the lint upstairs. And we are Mom's out near 68 00:03:57,974 --> 00:04:00,574 Speaker 3: the Blue Mountains living at the time, so we decided 69 00:04:00,574 --> 00:04:03,294 Speaker 3: that we'd come in on the Sunday night. We stayed 70 00:04:03,294 --> 00:04:06,014 Speaker 3: down at the Hilton and we just decided, rather than 71 00:04:06,134 --> 00:04:09,014 Speaker 3: deal with the traffic on the Monday morning, that we 72 00:04:09,014 --> 00:04:11,174 Speaker 3: would do that. And we had a lovely time together anyway. 73 00:04:11,334 --> 00:04:14,614 Speaker 3: And so in the morning we had that moment where 74 00:04:14,654 --> 00:04:18,414 Speaker 3: we went, will we go to the Link for breakfast 75 00:04:18,534 --> 00:04:20,414 Speaker 3: or will we just stay here at the Hilton? What 76 00:04:20,494 --> 00:04:22,574 Speaker 3: will we do? You know, tossing and turning the idea, 77 00:04:22,614 --> 00:04:25,734 Speaker 3: and decided we only wanted something small, so we went, 78 00:04:26,534 --> 00:04:28,854 Speaker 3: of course to the Link. We just you know, that's 79 00:04:28,854 --> 00:04:33,854 Speaker 3: sliding all moment. But yeah, so just random, random but 80 00:04:33,934 --> 00:04:36,334 Speaker 3: you know, really, Mum and I probably were the people 81 00:04:36,414 --> 00:04:41,214 Speaker 3: who should have least been there because you know. 82 00:04:41,374 --> 00:04:43,654 Speaker 1: It wasn't your town, it was in your area. 83 00:04:43,814 --> 00:04:45,854 Speaker 3: No, that's right. We were in the Yeah, very much 84 00:04:45,894 --> 00:04:48,174 Speaker 3: in that wrong kind of place and the wrong story 85 00:04:48,214 --> 00:04:50,694 Speaker 3: for us actually at that time. But there you go, 86 00:04:51,374 --> 00:04:52,254 Speaker 3: that's what happens. 87 00:04:52,734 --> 00:04:55,574 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry about your mum. You lost your mum last. 88 00:04:55,454 --> 00:04:59,494 Speaker 3: Year and yeah, that's right. She died in September, and 89 00:05:00,294 --> 00:05:04,054 Speaker 3: it for us as a family, we all feel that 90 00:05:04,414 --> 00:05:07,814 Speaker 3: Mum was never the same after the cafe, and we're 91 00:05:07,934 --> 00:05:12,014 Speaker 3: very aware of that. But you know, we're comforted by 92 00:05:12,054 --> 00:05:14,894 Speaker 3: the fact that she had a really glorious death and 93 00:05:16,294 --> 00:05:19,134 Speaker 3: that was it was lovely really to all be together 94 00:05:19,214 --> 00:05:21,774 Speaker 3: for that. But yes, we imagined that we were going 95 00:05:21,814 --> 00:05:23,934 Speaker 3: to have it for quite a lot longer because she's 96 00:05:24,054 --> 00:05:27,294 Speaker 3: very vital and you know, go go kind of woman. 97 00:05:28,574 --> 00:05:33,614 Speaker 1: Having come so close to death on that day, How 98 00:05:33,814 --> 00:05:38,054 Speaker 1: was it different when you know, because the sliding doors moments, again, 99 00:05:38,094 --> 00:05:41,014 Speaker 1: you could have both lost your lives so easily in 100 00:05:41,054 --> 00:05:46,814 Speaker 1: the cafe that day. How did it go in the end, Well. 101 00:05:46,654 --> 00:05:50,494 Speaker 3: You know, the the concluding moments, I don't know you know, 102 00:05:50,574 --> 00:05:52,294 Speaker 3: some people would have watched it right to the end 103 00:05:52,374 --> 00:05:57,094 Speaker 3: on television, but for us inside, the intensity and the 104 00:05:58,094 --> 00:06:00,694 Speaker 3: you know, the adrenaline that just rushes through your body, 105 00:06:00,694 --> 00:06:04,374 Speaker 3: it's so overwhelming. It's like you drip adrenaline in that moment, 106 00:06:05,174 --> 00:06:09,454 Speaker 3: and I think that, well, actually, Mum and I both 107 00:06:09,974 --> 00:06:12,694 Speaker 3: came out of the cafe we were related to discover 108 00:06:12,734 --> 00:06:15,974 Speaker 3: assuming that the other was dead, because we couldn't imagine 109 00:06:16,214 --> 00:06:20,774 Speaker 3: how anyone could have survived. And you know, in the 110 00:06:20,774 --> 00:06:22,374 Speaker 3: fact of the matter is is that all of us 111 00:06:22,414 --> 00:06:25,694 Speaker 3: were injured in the cafe at the end, anyone who 112 00:06:25,774 --> 00:06:30,094 Speaker 3: was in the actual cafe was injured, and sadly, of course, 113 00:06:30,374 --> 00:06:34,974 Speaker 3: Katrina's injuries led to her death. So you know, but 114 00:06:35,054 --> 00:06:38,294 Speaker 3: the moment of thinking that you're absolutely going to die 115 00:06:38,774 --> 00:06:41,654 Speaker 3: right there and then it's very real. You know, you 116 00:06:41,774 --> 00:06:44,494 Speaker 3: just sort of kind of have that moment where you go, well, 117 00:06:44,494 --> 00:06:46,254 Speaker 3: this is it, this is really going to be it. 118 00:06:46,414 --> 00:06:49,934 Speaker 3: I remember thinking survived this whole day and now we're 119 00:06:49,934 --> 00:06:52,614 Speaker 3: going to die right now, and so that's kind of 120 00:06:52,654 --> 00:06:55,574 Speaker 3: like it just stops you in your in your heart 121 00:06:55,614 --> 00:06:56,654 Speaker 3: and in your in your tracks. 122 00:06:56,694 --> 00:06:59,174 Speaker 1: Really, does your life flash before your eyes like they 123 00:06:59,214 --> 00:07:00,854 Speaker 1: say did you think of a person. 124 00:07:00,934 --> 00:07:01,734 Speaker 3: Did you think of her? 125 00:07:02,414 --> 00:07:02,974 Speaker 1: What did you think? 126 00:07:03,214 --> 00:07:05,854 Speaker 3: No? I just thought, well, actually what I thought was, oh, well, god, 127 00:07:05,894 --> 00:07:08,174 Speaker 3: here I'm coming, ready or not? You know, this is 128 00:07:08,214 --> 00:07:12,374 Speaker 3: me and there's no time now to make any addressments 129 00:07:12,454 --> 00:07:14,934 Speaker 3: or amends or try and do things different. 130 00:07:14,934 --> 00:07:15,614 Speaker 1: For a bucket list. 131 00:07:15,694 --> 00:07:19,454 Speaker 3: That's right. It definitely was too late for that bucket list. 132 00:07:19,454 --> 00:07:21,974 Speaker 3: And it was kind of like, yes, well here we are, 133 00:07:22,014 --> 00:07:24,374 Speaker 3: it's going to end like this, just the shock of 134 00:07:24,414 --> 00:07:25,014 Speaker 3: that idea. 135 00:07:25,854 --> 00:07:27,614 Speaker 1: But where were you in that moment? 136 00:07:28,534 --> 00:07:31,654 Speaker 3: I was on the floor. I was on the floor actually, 137 00:07:31,774 --> 00:07:36,534 Speaker 3: and having been standing right next to the gunman, I 138 00:07:36,614 --> 00:07:39,294 Speaker 3: kind of suddenly found myself on the floor. So and 139 00:07:39,414 --> 00:07:43,494 Speaker 3: I had my hands covering my eyes because the gunfire 140 00:07:43,574 --> 00:07:46,334 Speaker 3: was so intense and it was just full on, and 141 00:07:46,414 --> 00:07:49,334 Speaker 3: I actually had that thought, oh, well, I'm going to 142 00:07:49,374 --> 00:07:51,374 Speaker 3: die right here, right now, and those will watch, you know. 143 00:07:51,454 --> 00:07:53,614 Speaker 3: So I took my hands away and opened my eyes, 144 00:07:53,654 --> 00:07:55,934 Speaker 3: but could hardly see a thing because the gun smoke 145 00:07:56,014 --> 00:07:58,654 Speaker 3: in the room, and of course it was dark, but 146 00:07:58,774 --> 00:08:01,574 Speaker 3: it's so intense it was very hard to see. But 147 00:08:01,694 --> 00:08:03,294 Speaker 3: you know, I figured I mos will watch. It was 148 00:08:03,334 --> 00:08:03,854 Speaker 3: going to die. 149 00:08:05,094 --> 00:08:06,894 Speaker 1: What happened when the gunshots stopped. 150 00:08:07,534 --> 00:08:10,974 Speaker 3: You know, that was really interesting because that's just how 151 00:08:11,014 --> 00:08:14,694 Speaker 3: it was. It was this intense which felt like you 152 00:08:14,694 --> 00:08:18,334 Speaker 3: know ages, you know, just like a car accident, fast 153 00:08:18,374 --> 00:08:20,654 Speaker 3: and slow at the same time. But when it stopped, 154 00:08:20,654 --> 00:08:25,814 Speaker 3: it just stopped suddenly, just oh, okay, it's over. And 155 00:08:25,894 --> 00:08:29,014 Speaker 3: I had that oh I'm still alive, and I'm kind 156 00:08:29,014 --> 00:08:31,574 Speaker 3: of feeling my head thinking, am I okay? And because 157 00:08:31,614 --> 00:08:34,014 Speaker 3: I had seen my foot in the hole on my 158 00:08:34,054 --> 00:08:36,894 Speaker 3: foot already and I realized that, and I thought, okay, 159 00:08:36,934 --> 00:08:40,534 Speaker 3: it's just my foot, I'm okay. Everywhere else okay, And 160 00:08:40,534 --> 00:08:42,614 Speaker 3: then you kind of start I'm starting to slowly get 161 00:08:42,614 --> 00:08:44,814 Speaker 3: myself up. In the next minute, one of the tag 162 00:08:44,854 --> 00:08:47,294 Speaker 3: team guys is over the top of me shouting, shouting, 163 00:08:47,654 --> 00:08:49,654 Speaker 3: get up, get up, run run, and I'm like, oh, 164 00:08:49,694 --> 00:08:52,574 Speaker 3: I can't run my foot and he hauls me up 165 00:08:52,574 --> 00:08:54,654 Speaker 3: and at the same time he says to me, can 166 00:08:54,694 --> 00:08:57,894 Speaker 3: you hop? And I went, okay, I guess only I can. 167 00:08:59,174 --> 00:09:00,814 Speaker 3: So you know, it was one of those crazy kind 168 00:09:00,814 --> 00:09:04,174 Speaker 3: of moments. But you know, the tack guy says hop 169 00:09:04,214 --> 00:09:06,134 Speaker 3: and you you hop? Yeah, exactly. 170 00:09:06,254 --> 00:09:07,974 Speaker 1: So you know, did you know where your mum was 171 00:09:08,014 --> 00:09:08,734 Speaker 1: at that stage? 172 00:09:09,134 --> 00:09:09,334 Speaker 3: No? 173 00:09:09,614 --> 00:09:11,294 Speaker 1: How would you two become separated. 174 00:09:11,414 --> 00:09:13,614 Speaker 3: Well, we had been positioned on either side of him, 175 00:09:13,694 --> 00:09:16,414 Speaker 3: so Mum was on the right side of him, closest 176 00:09:16,414 --> 00:09:19,654 Speaker 3: to the kitchen at the lint, and I was on 177 00:09:19,694 --> 00:09:23,094 Speaker 3: the left, closest to martin place side of him, and 178 00:09:24,294 --> 00:09:27,534 Speaker 3: so we had gotten separated in the you know, the 179 00:09:27,574 --> 00:09:30,294 Speaker 3: furor of what was happening at the end, So that 180 00:09:30,414 --> 00:09:34,734 Speaker 3: separation was just like added to the So once you 181 00:09:34,774 --> 00:09:37,134 Speaker 3: kind of do the check, yes, I'm all in one piece, 182 00:09:37,174 --> 00:09:40,734 Speaker 3: and then you know, they come behind me, actually two 183 00:09:40,734 --> 00:09:43,614 Speaker 3: of the tack guys because I was obviously slow, and 184 00:09:43,894 --> 00:09:46,374 Speaker 3: scooped me up and took me out and just gently 185 00:09:46,414 --> 00:09:49,214 Speaker 3: placed me on the on the you know road there 186 00:09:49,214 --> 00:09:51,774 Speaker 3: in Philip Street, and you know, I kind of had 187 00:09:51,814 --> 00:09:58,014 Speaker 3: that moment of oh, I'm alive and the overwhelming gratitude like, 188 00:09:58,134 --> 00:10:01,054 Speaker 3: thank God, I am still alive, and at the same time, 189 00:10:02,094 --> 00:10:04,214 Speaker 3: but Mum must be dead. There's no way she could 190 00:10:04,214 --> 00:10:09,494 Speaker 3: have survived, because you know, I actually I didn't know 191 00:10:09,814 --> 00:10:12,694 Speaker 3: at that stage that Katrina was still in the cafe. 192 00:10:13,014 --> 00:10:15,934 Speaker 3: I thought you'd escaped with all the others, and in 193 00:10:15,974 --> 00:10:18,894 Speaker 3: a flash of a moment, I saw that Marcia was 194 00:10:18,934 --> 00:10:22,494 Speaker 3: still there. But I just had assumed that it was 195 00:10:22,614 --> 00:10:25,174 Speaker 3: just my mother and I and Tory that was still 196 00:10:25,254 --> 00:10:28,094 Speaker 3: left there. That was all that he realized. Was there 197 00:10:28,814 --> 00:10:30,534 Speaker 3: the gunman, and so. 198 00:10:31,214 --> 00:10:33,734 Speaker 1: Was everyone else hiding everyone else. 199 00:10:33,534 --> 00:10:37,494 Speaker 3: Had escaped, So they'd all escaped and the escape. I'm 200 00:10:37,534 --> 00:10:40,574 Speaker 3: so grateful that they had escaped, because you know, if 201 00:10:40,574 --> 00:10:42,934 Speaker 3: there had been more of us in the cafe, there 202 00:10:42,974 --> 00:10:46,174 Speaker 3: perhaps would have been more, definitely more injury, and perhaps 203 00:10:46,214 --> 00:10:47,334 Speaker 3: more may have died. 204 00:10:48,294 --> 00:10:51,454 Speaker 1: I'm told that the people who did escape, many of 205 00:10:51,494 --> 00:10:52,774 Speaker 1: them lived with tremendous guilt. 206 00:10:53,934 --> 00:10:56,654 Speaker 3: Oh if I could only just say to all of them, 207 00:10:56,694 --> 00:10:59,214 Speaker 3: you know, please don't be guilty. I'm so grateful that 208 00:10:59,254 --> 00:11:02,094 Speaker 3: you got out when you did. And I think, in hindsight, 209 00:11:02,174 --> 00:11:05,414 Speaker 3: that was the smartest thing to do. I mean, certainly 210 00:11:05,534 --> 00:11:08,054 Speaker 3: Mum and I, you know, we talked about it afterwards, 211 00:11:08,054 --> 00:11:11,334 Speaker 3: but we were all just waiting because we assumed the 212 00:11:11,334 --> 00:11:14,694 Speaker 3: police were coming. So we're just waiting the police will come. 213 00:11:15,254 --> 00:11:18,574 Speaker 3: And so yes, those who took the initiative to run 214 00:11:19,254 --> 00:11:21,574 Speaker 3: to escape the way they did, that was the wisest 215 00:11:21,574 --> 00:11:22,054 Speaker 3: thing to do. 216 00:11:22,774 --> 00:11:26,054 Speaker 1: How did the gunman react every time he found out 217 00:11:26,094 --> 00:11:28,854 Speaker 1: people escaped or did he not realize. 218 00:11:29,414 --> 00:11:33,774 Speaker 3: Well, he was very aware that the first three escaped. Originally, 219 00:11:34,174 --> 00:11:37,574 Speaker 3: like all of us in that moment, he thought that 220 00:11:37,574 --> 00:11:40,134 Speaker 3: the police were coming in. And it was only the 221 00:11:40,254 --> 00:11:45,334 Speaker 3: quick thinking of young Jared Malton Hoffman who said that no, no, 222 00:11:45,374 --> 00:11:48,934 Speaker 3: they've escaped that we all suddenly went from like off 223 00:11:48,934 --> 00:11:52,374 Speaker 3: the Richter, you know, tension and you know, everything was 224 00:11:52,414 --> 00:11:55,014 Speaker 3: going nuts at the moment. In the moment, then he 225 00:11:55,094 --> 00:11:58,174 Speaker 3: just suddenly calmed down, realizing that that escaped and that 226 00:11:58,214 --> 00:12:03,414 Speaker 3: the police weren't coming. But what he didn't know was 227 00:12:03,454 --> 00:12:07,974 Speaker 3: that the other two young girls had quietly escaped, just 228 00:12:08,494 --> 00:12:12,094 Speaker 3: ever so quiet. It was amazing really, So he didn't 229 00:12:12,134 --> 00:12:15,254 Speaker 3: know that there were actually five that had escaped. He 230 00:12:15,374 --> 00:12:19,534 Speaker 3: only thought that three, three men had escaped. However, and 231 00:12:19,574 --> 00:12:22,734 Speaker 3: this is an important thing to be thinking about. On 232 00:12:22,894 --> 00:12:26,334 Speaker 3: the day, the media were reporting every hour on the 233 00:12:26,334 --> 00:12:31,574 Speaker 3: hour that five people had escaped. So we had to 234 00:12:32,134 --> 00:12:35,174 Speaker 3: calm him with that by saying things like, oh, you 235 00:12:35,214 --> 00:12:38,334 Speaker 3: know what the media is like, they just lie, they're exaggerating. 236 00:12:38,774 --> 00:12:41,814 Speaker 3: Only three people have escaped. Now, this was important for 237 00:12:41,894 --> 00:12:44,494 Speaker 3: us in the room because when those three first three 238 00:12:44,534 --> 00:12:48,054 Speaker 3: had escaped, he told us all that if anyone else escaped, 239 00:12:48,214 --> 00:12:51,574 Speaker 3: he'd kill someone, so we're all on you know, high 240 00:12:51,574 --> 00:12:55,334 Speaker 3: alert in a day that was already like ultra tense. 241 00:12:55,654 --> 00:12:58,414 Speaker 3: That just sort of added to the tension. So every 242 00:12:58,414 --> 00:13:00,894 Speaker 3: time the news reports were coming through, we had to 243 00:13:00,934 --> 00:13:04,254 Speaker 3: calm him down by just saying, you know, the media lie, 244 00:13:04,934 --> 00:13:08,814 Speaker 3: but they were reporting a fact as it was true. However, 245 00:13:09,134 --> 00:13:11,894 Speaker 3: it was impacting on us in the room, and if 246 00:13:11,934 --> 00:13:15,094 Speaker 3: he had kind of like figured it out, then we 247 00:13:15,174 --> 00:13:17,614 Speaker 3: could have really been in a dire situation. 248 00:13:18,334 --> 00:13:22,094 Speaker 1: The media had no idea that you had access or 249 00:13:22,134 --> 00:13:25,254 Speaker 1: did they, And how did you have access to media. 250 00:13:25,054 --> 00:13:27,934 Speaker 3: On everyone's phones? You know, we all have media in 251 00:13:27,974 --> 00:13:28,854 Speaker 3: our pockets now. 252 00:13:29,014 --> 00:13:31,134 Speaker 1: So he didn't take everyone's phone. He did. 253 00:13:31,414 --> 00:13:33,454 Speaker 3: What he did was he asked us right up front, 254 00:13:33,534 --> 00:13:35,934 Speaker 3: he said, put your ID and your wallets and your 255 00:13:35,934 --> 00:13:38,734 Speaker 3: phones on the table in front of us, you know, 256 00:13:38,774 --> 00:13:40,734 Speaker 3: where we were all sitting. So we all did that. 257 00:13:41,334 --> 00:13:43,454 Speaker 3: So of course, but everyone had phones. And so as 258 00:13:43,494 --> 00:13:46,374 Speaker 3: the day went on and he progressively was trying to 259 00:13:46,374 --> 00:13:49,814 Speaker 3: get us to get him media attention, using our phones 260 00:13:49,894 --> 00:13:53,174 Speaker 3: become a thing. Yeah. So yeah, we all had you know, 261 00:13:53,254 --> 00:13:56,134 Speaker 3: information all day, and everything that was being reported was 262 00:13:56,174 --> 00:13:58,814 Speaker 3: being reported into us. So it's an interesting kind of 263 00:13:58,814 --> 00:14:01,494 Speaker 3: thing for us to think about, especially for the media, 264 00:14:01,814 --> 00:14:05,814 Speaker 3: how do we address this from a global situation. Whatever 265 00:14:05,894 --> 00:14:07,534 Speaker 3: is being said in the media will of course, we've 266 00:14:07,574 --> 00:14:10,534 Speaker 3: just got to assume that it does that'll be impacting 267 00:14:10,534 --> 00:14:13,654 Speaker 3: on a live situation. For example, very late in the 268 00:14:13,774 --> 00:14:17,574 Speaker 3: night early morning in London, BBC were reporting on what 269 00:14:17,614 --> 00:14:20,614 Speaker 3: was happening in Sydney. So they were saying, we're listening 270 00:14:20,614 --> 00:14:22,894 Speaker 3: to the report, and it was one of those moments 271 00:14:22,974 --> 00:14:26,494 Speaker 3: when the BBC London saying, and we're watching live in 272 00:14:26,534 --> 00:14:29,334 Speaker 3: Sydney the hostage situation there, and we can see that 273 00:14:29,374 --> 00:14:33,374 Speaker 3: the police are surrounding the cafe. And I remember absolutely 274 00:14:33,414 --> 00:14:37,774 Speaker 3: holding my breath because he thought that there were no police. 275 00:14:38,494 --> 00:14:41,334 Speaker 3: He really thought that there were no police surrounding the cafe, 276 00:14:41,614 --> 00:14:44,294 Speaker 3: that they're all off at a distance, because that's what 277 00:14:44,334 --> 00:14:48,574 Speaker 3: he's demanded being So of course we're hearing that, and 278 00:14:49,014 --> 00:14:53,094 Speaker 3: I could actually hear my heart thumping in my chest 279 00:14:53,174 --> 00:14:56,214 Speaker 3: because I knew that if he realized that the police 280 00:14:56,254 --> 00:15:00,494 Speaker 3: were surrounding the cave from a report from London, the 281 00:15:00,534 --> 00:15:03,174 Speaker 3: other side of the world, that once again we're all 282 00:15:03,214 --> 00:15:05,974 Speaker 3: at risk. Fortunately, and I do not know how he 283 00:15:06,054 --> 00:15:08,814 Speaker 3: missed it. It may have been he didn't catch the 284 00:15:08,934 --> 00:15:12,174 Speaker 3: lady's axe, or he didn't he was fatiguing, or he 285 00:15:12,294 --> 00:15:15,494 Speaker 3: was distracted somehow, and he did not hear that, and 286 00:15:15,534 --> 00:15:18,414 Speaker 3: he did not react. But it certainly put me on edge. 287 00:15:18,574 --> 00:15:21,734 Speaker 1: And mum, everybody, really, when did you first become aware 288 00:15:21,814 --> 00:15:26,094 Speaker 1: on that morning that it wasn't just a regular cup 289 00:15:26,094 --> 00:15:27,254 Speaker 1: of hot chocolate. 290 00:15:27,214 --> 00:15:31,214 Speaker 3: You know, likes just such a strange circumstance. I was 291 00:15:31,254 --> 00:15:34,294 Speaker 3: actually I decided that, you know, it's time to go, 292 00:15:34,374 --> 00:15:37,494 Speaker 3: and I went to pay for a breakfast and the 293 00:15:37,574 --> 00:15:40,654 Speaker 3: young girl who was serving me, I think it was April, 294 00:15:40,694 --> 00:15:42,654 Speaker 3: and she said she was just there taking my money, 295 00:15:42,694 --> 00:15:44,854 Speaker 3: and her mouth is a ghast. I'm thinking, this young 296 00:15:44,894 --> 00:15:48,134 Speaker 3: girl is not paying attention, you know, but of course 297 00:15:48,534 --> 00:15:51,774 Speaker 3: I'm paying her. And she could see, you know, behind me, 298 00:15:51,854 --> 00:15:54,094 Speaker 3: and she could see him standing up, starting to make 299 00:15:54,134 --> 00:15:57,934 Speaker 3: his proclamation and putting his bandana on. And so by 300 00:15:57,974 --> 00:16:01,814 Speaker 3: the time I turned around to go back to sit down, he's, 301 00:16:02,014 --> 00:16:04,894 Speaker 3: like I said, putting his bandana on, and he's adjusting himself. 302 00:16:04,934 --> 00:16:07,774 Speaker 3: He's making his speech. He's saying, I want you to 303 00:16:07,814 --> 00:16:09,974 Speaker 3: know Australia is under attack and I want to speak 304 00:16:09,974 --> 00:16:12,774 Speaker 3: to the Prime Minister. On National radio and I've got 305 00:16:12,814 --> 00:16:16,414 Speaker 3: a bomb in my backpack, and I'm thinking in my head, 306 00:16:16,534 --> 00:16:19,254 Speaker 3: I actually thought, oh, this is ridiculous. It's a joke. 307 00:16:19,734 --> 00:16:21,614 Speaker 3: You know, we're across the road from Channel seven. This 308 00:16:21,694 --> 00:16:25,014 Speaker 3: must be some sort of like perverted kind of candid camera. 309 00:16:25,894 --> 00:16:28,174 Speaker 3: But when he pulled out the gun, it was then 310 00:16:28,254 --> 00:16:30,974 Speaker 3: me and that I just like went, it's real. You know, 311 00:16:31,054 --> 00:16:35,854 Speaker 3: this is real. And of course you think in that moment, well, 312 00:16:35,934 --> 00:16:38,334 Speaker 3: this is a terrorist action, and what to terrorists do? 313 00:16:38,454 --> 00:16:41,254 Speaker 3: They kill you? Right, You're dead. So it's just that 314 00:16:42,294 --> 00:16:45,854 Speaker 3: adjustment of your reality. You know, one minute I'm thinking 315 00:16:45,894 --> 00:16:48,414 Speaker 3: about the rest of our morning, and the next minute, 316 00:16:48,574 --> 00:16:51,694 Speaker 3: right here, right now, we're dead. But of course that 317 00:16:51,734 --> 00:16:52,414 Speaker 3: wasn't what he did. 318 00:16:52,774 --> 00:16:54,494 Speaker 1: Did people react in different ways. 319 00:16:55,614 --> 00:16:57,414 Speaker 3: I think we're all just a little bit stunned, And 320 00:16:57,454 --> 00:17:00,494 Speaker 3: everyone was very quiet and listening, trying to pay attention. 321 00:17:01,294 --> 00:17:05,974 Speaker 3: The gunman himself was busy trying to articulate very clearly. 322 00:17:06,054 --> 00:17:08,774 Speaker 3: He was obviously aware of his accent and was trying 323 00:17:08,814 --> 00:17:12,254 Speaker 3: to articulate very clearly what his demands were and what 324 00:17:12,294 --> 00:17:15,214 Speaker 3: he was expecting of us. So we all just were 325 00:17:15,254 --> 00:17:18,054 Speaker 3: like in a state of shock, really, So there was 326 00:17:18,094 --> 00:17:20,654 Speaker 3: no kind of screaming or anything like that. 327 00:17:20,694 --> 00:17:24,894 Speaker 1: It was just, yeah, did he sort of try to 328 00:17:25,054 --> 00:17:28,134 Speaker 1: organize you very quickly or did you organize yourselves? 329 00:17:28,254 --> 00:17:31,894 Speaker 3: No, he was well, he was instantly in control. Obviously 330 00:17:31,934 --> 00:17:34,014 Speaker 3: the gun, threat of bombs, all that kind of thing. 331 00:17:34,494 --> 00:17:37,014 Speaker 3: You know, the average Australian doesn't really have to do 332 00:17:37,054 --> 00:17:40,494 Speaker 3: with those things. So we were, you know, all trying 333 00:17:40,534 --> 00:17:42,614 Speaker 3: to work out how to do that. And of course 334 00:17:42,694 --> 00:17:45,694 Speaker 3: you must remember, apart from the staff, we were all 335 00:17:45,774 --> 00:17:51,774 Speaker 3: random strangers, so it was just that really bizarre sort 336 00:17:51,774 --> 00:17:54,694 Speaker 3: of circumstance. So we're all sort of listening, trying to 337 00:17:54,734 --> 00:17:58,414 Speaker 3: hear what he's saying, doing what he's telling us. You know, 338 00:17:58,774 --> 00:18:00,334 Speaker 3: I'm thinking, oh, he's going to line us up and 339 00:18:00,334 --> 00:18:03,134 Speaker 3: shoot us in my head. But of course, like obviously 340 00:18:03,174 --> 00:18:05,654 Speaker 3: he didn't do that, so he was quickly he started 341 00:18:05,694 --> 00:18:07,374 Speaker 3: to say things like keep your eyes closed, so it 342 00:18:07,414 --> 00:18:11,574 Speaker 3: was very controlling of everything. Close your eyes, open your eyes, 343 00:18:12,614 --> 00:18:15,734 Speaker 3: you stand here, you stand there. He quickly arranged people 344 00:18:15,814 --> 00:18:18,254 Speaker 3: around the room, had people stand up on the bench 345 00:18:18,334 --> 00:18:21,134 Speaker 3: seat and there in the cafe so that they could 346 00:18:21,134 --> 00:18:24,174 Speaker 3: be seen out the big windows, and people you know, 347 00:18:24,214 --> 00:18:27,374 Speaker 3: across the front. So it was pretty full on and 348 00:18:27,454 --> 00:18:31,454 Speaker 3: intense and the immediate sort of starting and then we waited. 349 00:18:31,974 --> 00:18:34,694 Speaker 1: Did you get the chance to talk amongst Jesselle. No, 350 00:18:34,854 --> 00:18:36,734 Speaker 1: he was very controlling of all of that for the 351 00:18:36,774 --> 00:18:37,294 Speaker 1: whole day. 352 00:18:37,494 --> 00:18:41,054 Speaker 3: Yes, so that kind of laxed a little when we 353 00:18:41,494 --> 00:18:43,974 Speaker 3: all got with the program, and that we all realized 354 00:18:44,014 --> 00:18:49,054 Speaker 3: that what he wanted was media attention, so therefore we 355 00:18:49,374 --> 00:18:53,974 Speaker 3: needed to be the ones to get that attention for him. 356 00:18:54,014 --> 00:18:58,254 Speaker 3: So we're all just then scrambling, you know. Initially at 357 00:18:58,254 --> 00:19:02,494 Speaker 3: one stage he had me ring triple O and he 358 00:19:02,574 --> 00:19:06,334 Speaker 3: was happy with his with the phone call and he said, oh, 359 00:19:06,414 --> 00:19:09,254 Speaker 3: you can be my secretary, I mean, like seriously. And 360 00:19:09,574 --> 00:19:13,294 Speaker 3: then later on from that he told me to find 361 00:19:13,374 --> 00:19:18,734 Speaker 3: ABC Radio on the phone. Well, so technically challenged. Not 362 00:19:18,854 --> 00:19:21,574 Speaker 3: the best with the phone at the you know, most times, 363 00:19:21,574 --> 00:19:24,374 Speaker 3: but in particular because I had forgotten my own phone 364 00:19:24,374 --> 00:19:27,094 Speaker 3: that day and so it was my mother's phone that 365 00:19:27,294 --> 00:19:30,614 Speaker 3: was on the table, and so I'm trying to scramble 366 00:19:30,654 --> 00:19:33,454 Speaker 3: and find ABC Radio on the phone, and I found 367 00:19:33,534 --> 00:19:35,854 Speaker 3: ABC Radio book Club, but he wasn't interested in the 368 00:19:35,854 --> 00:19:39,454 Speaker 3: book club. So you know, in that moment, young Jared 369 00:19:39,534 --> 00:19:42,054 Speaker 3: quickly said, I'll do it, hand me the phone. So 370 00:19:42,374 --> 00:19:44,774 Speaker 3: when I handed over the phone to Jared, it was 371 00:19:44,854 --> 00:19:49,094 Speaker 3: like everything shifted and Jared very much become the lead 372 00:19:49,294 --> 00:19:53,494 Speaker 3: in the room. And so he quickly found radio on 373 00:19:53,534 --> 00:19:55,574 Speaker 3: the phone and did all that kind of thing, and 374 00:19:55,654 --> 00:19:59,894 Speaker 3: so the attention shifted very much to Jared, and Jared 375 00:19:59,974 --> 00:20:04,174 Speaker 3: become in a way like the main man for the gunman. 376 00:20:04,614 --> 00:20:06,614 Speaker 3: So it was really interesting, that dynamic, and I was 377 00:20:06,654 --> 00:20:09,214 Speaker 3: so grateful because you know, like technology is not really 378 00:20:09,254 --> 00:20:10,334 Speaker 3: my friend and the pressure. 379 00:20:10,534 --> 00:20:11,854 Speaker 1: So Jared worked there. 380 00:20:11,894 --> 00:20:15,694 Speaker 3: Yes, Jared young. Jared was one of the young workers. 381 00:20:15,814 --> 00:20:18,494 Speaker 3: He was nineteen at the time. Many of them were 382 00:20:18,534 --> 00:20:21,694 Speaker 3: only young, as was Fiona marsha Do only nineteen, so 383 00:20:21,934 --> 00:20:26,534 Speaker 3: you know, yeah, they're just well I wouldn't like me 384 00:20:26,574 --> 00:20:28,174 Speaker 3: to say it, but they're just babies, you know what 385 00:20:28,174 --> 00:20:28,494 Speaker 3: I mean. 386 00:20:28,734 --> 00:20:30,294 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you need a millennial to. 387 00:20:30,294 --> 00:20:32,334 Speaker 3: Get that job. Yeah, that's right. So they were there. 388 00:20:33,534 --> 00:20:35,814 Speaker 1: Could you communicate to each other with your eyes? 389 00:20:36,934 --> 00:20:39,654 Speaker 3: Well, obviously we were, but he was onto that. He 390 00:20:39,814 --> 00:20:42,494 Speaker 3: was quickly onto that, and he was saying, who's looking 391 00:20:42,494 --> 00:20:45,294 Speaker 3: at who? And certainly because once he realized that, you know, 392 00:20:45,414 --> 00:20:48,894 Speaker 3: Robin was my mother was totally separating us and no 393 00:20:49,454 --> 00:20:51,854 Speaker 3: talking with your eyes and if you thought someone was 394 00:20:51,854 --> 00:20:54,014 Speaker 3: looking too long at someone else. He was what are 395 00:20:54,014 --> 00:20:57,214 Speaker 3: you doing? You know, So he was certainly definitely in 396 00:20:57,254 --> 00:20:59,854 Speaker 3: the early stages, he was definitely onto all of that 397 00:20:59,974 --> 00:21:00,454 Speaker 3: kind of thing. 398 00:21:01,054 --> 00:21:04,454 Speaker 1: The people then that escaped in little groups, how did 399 00:21:04,454 --> 00:21:05,414 Speaker 1: they coordinate that? 400 00:21:06,534 --> 00:21:10,854 Speaker 3: You know? I think that they were just quick And 401 00:21:10,214 --> 00:21:15,654 Speaker 3: the three men who escaped, initially they were sitting at 402 00:21:15,694 --> 00:21:19,174 Speaker 3: the front, they were lined up the front together on 403 00:21:19,454 --> 00:21:22,734 Speaker 3: individual seats, and so they obviously were able to have 404 00:21:22,774 --> 00:21:27,254 Speaker 3: little communications because their backs were to the inside of 405 00:21:27,254 --> 00:21:29,894 Speaker 3: the cafe and they were facing out near the front door. 406 00:21:30,094 --> 00:21:32,774 Speaker 3: So they're obviously able to have little communications together. And 407 00:21:32,814 --> 00:21:35,414 Speaker 3: they quickly organized how they're going to do it, and 408 00:21:35,454 --> 00:21:37,774 Speaker 3: they just did it. I mean, like how brave were they? 409 00:21:38,254 --> 00:21:42,334 Speaker 1: And so yeah, if you couldn't, I mean, you had 410 00:21:42,334 --> 00:21:45,294 Speaker 1: a lot of time to feel in your mind, did 411 00:21:45,334 --> 00:21:47,974 Speaker 1: you kind of try to work out who was who 412 00:21:48,134 --> 00:21:51,374 Speaker 1: and what their story was about. 413 00:21:51,814 --> 00:21:54,414 Speaker 3: We were all in our little groups, and so he 414 00:21:54,534 --> 00:21:59,494 Speaker 3: separated us out from our groups really and put everybody everywhere. 415 00:22:00,014 --> 00:22:04,214 Speaker 3: So that kind of like stifled communication between us. But 416 00:22:04,294 --> 00:22:07,374 Speaker 3: as the day went on, and also because we were 417 00:22:07,414 --> 00:22:08,734 Speaker 3: having toilet breaks. 418 00:22:08,694 --> 00:22:10,334 Speaker 1: How did that work? I was going to ask about 419 00:22:10,334 --> 00:22:10,814 Speaker 1: the toilet. 420 00:22:11,134 --> 00:22:14,054 Speaker 3: Well, so thank goodness, you know, really, I mean one 421 00:22:14,054 --> 00:22:19,974 Speaker 3: could almost say inverted commas. That was a kindness that 422 00:22:20,014 --> 00:22:23,574 Speaker 3: worked because he just decided that we needed to and 423 00:22:23,614 --> 00:22:27,694 Speaker 3: I think really because it was obvious that because he 424 00:22:27,774 --> 00:22:31,134 Speaker 3: had kicked away my walking stick from me to start with, 425 00:22:31,654 --> 00:22:33,294 Speaker 3: and when it was time to go to the bathroom, 426 00:22:33,334 --> 00:22:34,774 Speaker 3: I said, can I have my walking stick? 427 00:22:34,854 --> 00:22:35,054 Speaker 4: No? 428 00:22:35,054 --> 00:22:39,174 Speaker 3: No, And then he said, Fiona, you take Louisa, because 429 00:22:39,214 --> 00:22:41,614 Speaker 3: he worked out our names Louisa to the bathroom. So 430 00:22:41,654 --> 00:22:44,494 Speaker 3: Fiona took me to the bathroom, and then we started 431 00:22:44,494 --> 00:22:48,894 Speaker 3: this whole routine of lint workers taking us to the bathroom, 432 00:22:48,894 --> 00:22:52,814 Speaker 3: predominantly Fiona or Jared, and so we were able to 433 00:22:52,854 --> 00:22:55,694 Speaker 3: communicate in that way as well. So they were kind 434 00:22:55,734 --> 00:22:59,734 Speaker 3: of like a conduit between us when we're going to it. 435 00:22:59,694 --> 00:23:00,894 Speaker 1: Would you whisper to them? 436 00:23:01,134 --> 00:23:02,934 Speaker 3: Yeah, Well the bathroom was you know, a little bit 437 00:23:02,934 --> 00:23:05,534 Speaker 3: of a distance, so there was a degree of privacy 438 00:23:05,614 --> 00:23:10,574 Speaker 3: there if you like. Gosh, so weird, but yeah, that's 439 00:23:10,574 --> 00:23:12,254 Speaker 3: how we were kind of like talking to each other. 440 00:23:12,254 --> 00:23:14,774 Speaker 3: But we didn't have any kind of grand plan for 441 00:23:15,014 --> 00:23:18,174 Speaker 3: escape or anything like that. We were just kind of like, 442 00:23:18,254 --> 00:23:21,174 Speaker 3: I think, going to the bathroom and young Fiona, Ma, 443 00:23:22,054 --> 00:23:24,934 Speaker 3: my goodness, he told us all to give over our phones. 444 00:23:25,094 --> 00:23:27,854 Speaker 3: Well she kept hers in her pocket, brave as that 445 00:23:27,934 --> 00:23:30,854 Speaker 3: little girl. And you know, so when we got down 446 00:23:30,854 --> 00:23:32,614 Speaker 3: to the bathroom, she says, I've got my phone. Do 447 00:23:32,614 --> 00:23:33,494 Speaker 3: you want to ring anyone? 448 00:23:34,334 --> 00:23:34,614 Speaker 1: You know? 449 00:23:34,734 --> 00:23:37,894 Speaker 3: But I mean, who remembers anybody's phone number these days? 450 00:23:38,334 --> 00:23:40,014 Speaker 3: So I'm like, I'd love to, but I haven't got 451 00:23:40,094 --> 00:23:44,414 Speaker 3: clue anybody's number. So yeah, there you go, and that's 452 00:23:44,454 --> 00:23:45,214 Speaker 3: how the day went. 453 00:23:53,094 --> 00:23:57,214 Speaker 1: I was also told that people became agitated at different times, 454 00:23:57,494 --> 00:24:03,014 Speaker 1: and around the time of school pickup, Katrina became quite agitated, 455 00:24:03,334 --> 00:24:04,574 Speaker 1: is that true? 456 00:24:05,774 --> 00:24:09,014 Speaker 3: Aware? Like she was aware, and you know, different ones 457 00:24:09,054 --> 00:24:11,894 Speaker 3: with children were aware of their children, would mention their children, 458 00:24:12,334 --> 00:24:14,694 Speaker 3: you know, just different little things. I want to, you know, 459 00:24:14,734 --> 00:24:17,414 Speaker 3: and try and negotiate a bit with you know, the gunment. 460 00:24:17,414 --> 00:24:19,294 Speaker 3: There was just constant talk about who was going to 461 00:24:19,294 --> 00:24:21,014 Speaker 3: get out and who was going to stay, you know, 462 00:24:21,054 --> 00:24:23,374 Speaker 3: and all that kind of thing. So yes, of course 463 00:24:23,374 --> 00:24:26,814 Speaker 3: there was that whole awareness of people and their children, 464 00:24:26,974 --> 00:24:29,734 Speaker 3: and the stress of all of that, you know, just 465 00:24:30,414 --> 00:24:31,574 Speaker 3: made the whole thing worse. 466 00:24:31,654 --> 00:24:35,414 Speaker 1: I think did anything sway him? I mean, you were 467 00:24:36,894 --> 00:24:39,894 Speaker 1: you have MS, and you had a cane, and then 468 00:24:41,374 --> 00:24:44,814 Speaker 1: you know, people had children, Julie was pregnant. There were 469 00:24:44,854 --> 00:24:48,254 Speaker 1: all sorts of different people with different reasons to be 470 00:24:48,374 --> 00:24:52,854 Speaker 1: allowed to go. Was everyone sort of looking for what 471 00:24:52,934 --> 00:24:56,014 Speaker 1: his vulnerabilities might be or what his kindnesses might be? 472 00:24:56,214 --> 00:24:59,494 Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely. You know, there was a lot of discussion. 473 00:24:59,534 --> 00:25:02,054 Speaker 3: At one stage, he said that he would release a 474 00:25:02,094 --> 00:25:06,174 Speaker 3: hostage and which hostage would he release. So of course, 475 00:25:06,534 --> 00:25:09,054 Speaker 3: you know, naturally you would think in a circumstance like that, 476 00:25:09,534 --> 00:25:12,294 Speaker 3: everyone might be saying me me, pick me, putting up 477 00:25:12,294 --> 00:25:14,374 Speaker 3: the hands, saying I'll go, you know, let me release me. 478 00:25:14,694 --> 00:25:19,694 Speaker 3: But it wasn't like that. Actually, everyone was saying things like, well, 479 00:25:19,734 --> 00:25:23,574 Speaker 3: you should release Robin and Louisa because Robin's old, right, 480 00:25:24,334 --> 00:25:27,694 Speaker 3: and we're saying no, no, you should release Julie because Julie's pregnant, 481 00:25:28,014 --> 00:25:30,854 Speaker 3: or Harriet who was pregnant at the time, And then 482 00:25:30,934 --> 00:25:32,854 Speaker 3: you know, he was saying, but who's going to be 483 00:25:32,894 --> 00:25:36,334 Speaker 3: my best spokesperson when they get out, and so you know, 484 00:25:36,814 --> 00:25:39,054 Speaker 3: then we're saying, well, like Jared, you know, he'd be 485 00:25:39,054 --> 00:25:41,094 Speaker 3: really good at that. So there was all those kind 486 00:25:41,134 --> 00:25:43,974 Speaker 3: of conversations each of us trying to say, you know, 487 00:25:44,654 --> 00:25:46,894 Speaker 3: release this one or that one, and particularly we're I 488 00:25:46,894 --> 00:25:49,734 Speaker 3: think we're all trying really to get the pregnant girls 489 00:25:49,734 --> 00:25:52,454 Speaker 3: out if we possibly could. But at the same time 490 00:25:52,494 --> 00:25:55,934 Speaker 3: it was obviously his choice. He was just messing with us, maybe, 491 00:25:56,174 --> 00:25:57,614 Speaker 3: you know. But there was a lot of coming and 492 00:25:57,614 --> 00:26:00,414 Speaker 3: going and discussion, and of course no one was released 493 00:26:00,414 --> 00:26:04,014 Speaker 3: by him in the end, because he wanted the media attention. 494 00:26:04,694 --> 00:26:07,574 Speaker 3: We wanted to be able to get a direct connection 495 00:26:07,694 --> 00:26:11,334 Speaker 3: to a media outlet so that he could say I'm 496 00:26:11,374 --> 00:26:14,934 Speaker 3: being so good and so kind by releasing somebody, and 497 00:26:14,974 --> 00:26:18,414 Speaker 3: he wanted to get the credit for that rather than oh, 498 00:26:18,734 --> 00:26:21,014 Speaker 3: he said, the media could just say they've escaped if 499 00:26:21,054 --> 00:26:25,694 Speaker 3: I don't get direct live coverage. So you know, that 500 00:26:25,814 --> 00:26:29,574 Speaker 3: whole idea of somebody being released. Eventually, when we realized 501 00:26:29,614 --> 00:26:34,134 Speaker 3: we had exhausted all opportunity for the media, it was 502 00:26:34,214 --> 00:26:37,814 Speaker 3: like he said, why should I bother because I won't 503 00:26:37,814 --> 00:26:41,254 Speaker 3: get the credit for it. The insanity of it. 504 00:26:41,894 --> 00:26:43,054 Speaker 1: Tell me about Toy. 505 00:26:44,614 --> 00:26:50,134 Speaker 3: Tory. Tory was the manager of the cafe, and unlike 506 00:26:50,254 --> 00:26:54,534 Speaker 3: everybody else, he referred to to Toy as the manager, 507 00:26:55,214 --> 00:26:59,974 Speaker 3: which of course he was the manager. And you know 508 00:27:00,294 --> 00:27:04,854 Speaker 3: this man who's still with me every day. You know. 509 00:27:06,214 --> 00:27:10,694 Speaker 3: He was very much highly regarded by his staff. They 510 00:27:10,734 --> 00:27:14,254 Speaker 3: really loved him, you know. But he on the day 511 00:27:17,734 --> 00:27:20,494 Speaker 3: he went on, he was aware that my mother was 512 00:27:20,534 --> 00:27:23,894 Speaker 3: becoming more and more agitated, which she was. She was 513 00:27:24,134 --> 00:27:28,734 Speaker 3: back chatting the gunman and I was she oh, and 514 00:27:28,774 --> 00:27:31,694 Speaker 3: I was becoming more and more anxious. What was she doing, Robert, Well, 515 00:27:31,734 --> 00:27:36,774 Speaker 3: she was, oh, dear mate, So she was well. At 516 00:27:36,774 --> 00:27:39,814 Speaker 3: one stage she stood up and hands on hips and said, 517 00:27:40,294 --> 00:27:42,014 Speaker 3: I want to go to the bathroom and my daughter 518 00:27:42,054 --> 00:27:45,854 Speaker 3: needs her medication. Oh, mom, just keep everything on the 519 00:27:45,894 --> 00:27:48,814 Speaker 3: down low. You know. I'm trying to mom, you know. 520 00:27:48,974 --> 00:27:50,814 Speaker 3: And you know when you hear your mother's angry voice. 521 00:27:50,854 --> 00:27:52,934 Speaker 3: I could hear it coming. I'm thinking, oh, man, are 522 00:27:52,974 --> 00:27:56,574 Speaker 3: you in trouble? Anyway, she just had that moment, and 523 00:27:57,934 --> 00:27:59,934 Speaker 3: so he sends her off to the bathroom with Fionna, 524 00:27:59,974 --> 00:28:02,574 Speaker 3: and then he wants to know all about my mss. 525 00:28:02,654 --> 00:28:04,854 Speaker 3: What's a mess? So yeah, so he calls me over 526 00:28:04,894 --> 00:28:07,894 Speaker 3: sitting next to him, and he gives me twenty questions 527 00:28:07,894 --> 00:28:09,774 Speaker 3: about what's the way you got a mess, how do 528 00:28:09,774 --> 00:28:10,534 Speaker 3: you get it? 529 00:28:10,214 --> 00:28:11,414 Speaker 4: What to do? 530 00:28:11,574 --> 00:28:15,454 Speaker 3: And I'm trying to explain very soundly and reasonably the 531 00:28:15,494 --> 00:28:16,814 Speaker 3: intricacies of MS. 532 00:28:16,814 --> 00:28:19,454 Speaker 1: And I'm thinking, gosh, you know, that's quite a human moment. 533 00:28:20,174 --> 00:28:23,174 Speaker 1: It's acfusing to you, Like I imagine that's confusing because he 534 00:28:23,294 --> 00:28:26,294 Speaker 1: was showing interest and yeah, and. 535 00:28:26,254 --> 00:28:28,974 Speaker 3: This is the thing about this man, right, And this 536 00:28:29,054 --> 00:28:31,014 Speaker 3: is the thing that I keep coming back to and 537 00:28:31,054 --> 00:28:33,694 Speaker 3: I keep talking about, and that is the fact that 538 00:28:34,334 --> 00:28:37,574 Speaker 3: he was a bad man doing a bad thing. What 539 00:28:37,654 --> 00:28:42,894 Speaker 3: he was doing was just so wrong and violent, violent 540 00:28:42,974 --> 00:28:44,974 Speaker 3: act to hold somebody against the will with a gun. 541 00:28:45,334 --> 00:28:48,134 Speaker 3: But at the same time, there were flashes of his 542 00:28:48,334 --> 00:28:52,454 Speaker 3: kindness and his humanity, So we kind of go, what 543 00:28:52,694 --> 00:28:56,374 Speaker 3: is that? Who is that? This duplicitous, double minded man. 544 00:28:56,774 --> 00:28:58,894 Speaker 3: Here he is letting us have toilet brakes and later 545 00:28:58,974 --> 00:29:02,774 Speaker 3: on cups of tea and food and uh, you. 546 00:29:02,734 --> 00:29:04,734 Speaker 1: Know water, inquiring about your health. 547 00:29:04,854 --> 00:29:09,094 Speaker 3: I know exactly exactly, and he was sincerely interested. I'm 548 00:29:09,134 --> 00:29:11,494 Speaker 3: sure of there was no need for him to kind 549 00:29:11,534 --> 00:29:13,654 Speaker 3: of like do a little deviation into his plan to 550 00:29:13,694 --> 00:29:16,374 Speaker 3: have a chat about my MS. And then you know, 551 00:29:16,454 --> 00:29:18,614 Speaker 3: he's very interested in it. And then he says to me, 552 00:29:19,134 --> 00:29:21,614 Speaker 3: at any time, Louisa, you want to have your medication, 553 00:29:22,174 --> 00:29:23,934 Speaker 3: you just do it. You don't have to ask me. 554 00:29:24,254 --> 00:29:26,974 Speaker 3: I thank you, thank you brother, you know. But so 555 00:29:27,214 --> 00:29:31,894 Speaker 3: here we go. Here's this man explain, you know, expressing 556 00:29:31,934 --> 00:29:34,894 Speaker 3: two different parts of his personality, and you think, what 557 00:29:35,134 --> 00:29:37,694 Speaker 3: is that? Double minded, duplicit us And you sort of 558 00:29:37,694 --> 00:29:41,414 Speaker 3: think to yourself, well, that's that man who assaults his wife, 559 00:29:41,574 --> 00:29:43,334 Speaker 3: bashes it to a pulp, and then at the same 560 00:29:43,374 --> 00:29:46,334 Speaker 3: time tells her he loves her. So, you know, we 561 00:29:46,414 --> 00:29:49,854 Speaker 3: think that we cannot imagine what a terrorist is like, 562 00:29:50,454 --> 00:29:54,214 Speaker 3: but we experience in our ordinary, everyday life that kind 563 00:29:54,294 --> 00:29:57,494 Speaker 3: of man or that kind of person. So it's say, 564 00:29:58,534 --> 00:30:01,254 Speaker 3: and I say this because whilst ever we throw our 565 00:30:01,294 --> 00:30:04,094 Speaker 3: hands in the air and say he's not us, we're 566 00:30:04,094 --> 00:30:07,014 Speaker 3: not that he's a madman. Yeah, that's right, he's a madman. 567 00:30:07,054 --> 00:30:09,694 Speaker 3: He's a lunatic, he's crazy. Then what we're doing doing 568 00:30:09,854 --> 00:30:14,574 Speaker 3: is actually surrendering our opportunity to understand what this is 569 00:30:14,614 --> 00:30:18,214 Speaker 3: all about. How does the violent mind really work? And 570 00:30:18,254 --> 00:30:20,214 Speaker 3: so for me personally, I kind of have been on 571 00:30:20,254 --> 00:30:22,974 Speaker 3: a little bit of a crusade in saying we have 572 00:30:23,134 --> 00:30:27,694 Speaker 3: to grab this circumstance and actually get beyond our fear 573 00:30:28,174 --> 00:30:30,854 Speaker 3: and start to do some real research to come to 574 00:30:30,934 --> 00:30:34,094 Speaker 3: real understanding, because it's only in that that we're going 575 00:30:34,174 --> 00:30:36,814 Speaker 3: to undo what this thing is. And so you know, 576 00:30:37,654 --> 00:30:41,334 Speaker 3: there we were in that circumstance with him all those hours, 577 00:30:42,094 --> 00:30:45,934 Speaker 3: and this was the reality of him, no different to 578 00:30:46,014 --> 00:30:46,854 Speaker 3: us in many ways. 579 00:30:48,134 --> 00:30:52,734 Speaker 1: Do you now see him as crazy? Mentally ill? Evil? 580 00:30:54,454 --> 00:30:56,534 Speaker 1: How do you see him? 581 00:30:59,494 --> 00:31:04,654 Speaker 3: All of those words are too easy. Actually, we need 582 00:31:04,774 --> 00:31:08,574 Speaker 3: a little bit more of nuanced kind of understanding of him. 583 00:31:08,854 --> 00:31:12,614 Speaker 3: And I see him as a very flawed human being 584 00:31:13,254 --> 00:31:18,694 Speaker 3: whose primary motivator was his own self delusion and his 585 00:31:20,894 --> 00:31:26,054 Speaker 3: narcissistic frame of obviously his existence, because you know, there's 586 00:31:26,054 --> 00:31:28,814 Speaker 3: lots of other things in this man's history. I mean, 587 00:31:29,014 --> 00:31:31,694 Speaker 3: at the inquest, we found out that he had forty 588 00:31:31,774 --> 00:31:36,534 Speaker 3: eight separate individual sexual assault charges against him, and of 589 00:31:36,574 --> 00:31:38,774 Speaker 3: course there was his involvement in the death of his 590 00:31:39,534 --> 00:31:44,454 Speaker 3: ex wife, which was horrendous, And so you know, the 591 00:31:44,454 --> 00:31:49,014 Speaker 3: man was one could very easily call him evil, but 592 00:31:49,054 --> 00:31:52,294 Speaker 3: that was not the only cloak that he wore. So 593 00:31:52,334 --> 00:31:55,374 Speaker 3: we have to get in and nut it out to 594 00:31:55,414 --> 00:32:01,614 Speaker 3: see what he really is. You know, yes, even madmen 595 00:32:01,894 --> 00:32:05,774 Speaker 3: can be sane, and to sort of box and die 596 00:32:05,774 --> 00:32:10,454 Speaker 3: somebody into a little hole like that too too simple. 597 00:32:11,134 --> 00:32:13,374 Speaker 3: And of no value to us now. 598 00:32:14,214 --> 00:32:17,534 Speaker 1: So there he was asked inquiring about your mss. Your 599 00:32:17,574 --> 00:32:20,534 Speaker 1: mama demanded to be taken to the bathroom. And where 600 00:32:20,574 --> 00:32:21,694 Speaker 1: was Tory through all of this. 601 00:32:21,894 --> 00:32:24,814 Speaker 3: Well, Tory he had placed mostly the women around him 602 00:32:24,854 --> 00:32:28,134 Speaker 3: close and all the men at a bit of a distance. 603 00:32:28,734 --> 00:32:31,574 Speaker 1: So as so to use the women as human shields 604 00:32:31,574 --> 00:32:33,694 Speaker 1: because he felt that there was less likely to be 605 00:32:33,854 --> 00:32:35,134 Speaker 1: someone firing through the window. 606 00:32:35,294 --> 00:32:38,774 Speaker 3: Yeah, well you know that. And also women he was assuming, obviously, 607 00:32:39,254 --> 00:32:41,094 Speaker 3: and obviously the way he's dealt with women, he was 608 00:32:41,094 --> 00:32:44,374 Speaker 3: probably feeling more confident that he could keep control of us. 609 00:32:44,694 --> 00:32:48,094 Speaker 3: So anyway, Mum and had you know, a few bit 610 00:32:48,174 --> 00:32:50,934 Speaker 3: of backchat towards him. And then as a day went on, 611 00:32:50,934 --> 00:32:53,294 Speaker 3: a little bit later, Tory had gone for bathroom break 612 00:32:53,534 --> 00:32:55,934 Speaker 3: and he came back. And normally we came back and 613 00:32:55,974 --> 00:32:59,254 Speaker 3: sat back in normal seats where we were last seated, 614 00:33:00,054 --> 00:33:03,254 Speaker 3: but Tory actually come back and positioned himself sitting right 615 00:33:03,294 --> 00:33:07,814 Speaker 3: next to Mum. And what happened then was that they 616 00:33:07,854 --> 00:33:10,854 Speaker 3: were sitting on the sit it on the bench seat 617 00:33:10,854 --> 00:33:12,694 Speaker 3: with a table in front of them, and I was 618 00:33:12,734 --> 00:33:17,654 Speaker 3: on an individual seat separated slightly from them. But where 619 00:33:17,654 --> 00:33:22,454 Speaker 3: he positioned himself next to Mom. I could hear them 620 00:33:22,534 --> 00:33:26,254 Speaker 3: just quietly whispering, having little jokes. I could hear little giggles, 621 00:33:26,934 --> 00:33:30,574 Speaker 3: and when I had got another bathroom break myself come back, 622 00:33:30,854 --> 00:33:34,374 Speaker 3: I could see them holding hands under the table. So 623 00:33:34,454 --> 00:33:39,094 Speaker 3: Tory had used that as an opportunity to sit next 624 00:33:39,174 --> 00:33:42,294 Speaker 3: and position himself next to my mother to calm her. 625 00:33:43,094 --> 00:33:46,014 Speaker 3: And I could see that that worked because Mum was 626 00:33:46,494 --> 00:33:50,094 Speaker 3: far better because it was one stage when the gunman 627 00:33:50,174 --> 00:33:54,734 Speaker 3: actually said to me, Louisa, keep your mother quiet, and 628 00:33:54,774 --> 00:33:56,654 Speaker 3: in the moment, I thought, you're crazy. How am I 629 00:33:56,694 --> 00:33:58,654 Speaker 3: going to do that? Keep my mother quiet? 630 00:33:58,854 --> 00:33:59,494 Speaker 1: Ask for a daughter? 631 00:33:59,574 --> 00:34:01,894 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, And so you know, like here, I am 632 00:34:01,934 --> 00:34:04,094 Speaker 3: a growing up. But I had that moment where I 633 00:34:04,094 --> 00:34:06,934 Speaker 3: had to say to Mum, you know, you're an old lady, 634 00:34:07,414 --> 00:34:09,854 Speaker 3: just keep quiet. And I could see her looking at me, 635 00:34:09,894 --> 00:34:12,094 Speaker 3: and I'm thinking, you know, she's kind of like wait 636 00:34:12,214 --> 00:34:13,934 Speaker 3: till you get hime and you're in big trouble kind 637 00:34:13,934 --> 00:34:15,734 Speaker 3: of thing, and I'm just sort of thinking we've got it. 638 00:34:15,774 --> 00:34:17,894 Speaker 3: But I knew that we just had to keep her calm. 639 00:34:18,294 --> 00:34:21,654 Speaker 3: And Tory obviously read that too, because he come back 640 00:34:21,654 --> 00:34:24,534 Speaker 3: after that, and like I said, he positioned himself next 641 00:34:24,574 --> 00:34:30,574 Speaker 3: to her. And of course at the end, at the end, 642 00:34:30,574 --> 00:34:35,454 Speaker 3: when everyone else escaped and I had had my eyes closed, 643 00:34:35,494 --> 00:34:38,694 Speaker 3: I was in this intense place of prayer, actually, and 644 00:34:39,054 --> 00:34:41,534 Speaker 3: then I'd heard this big bang and I'd opened my 645 00:34:41,574 --> 00:34:45,254 Speaker 3: eyes and all of the others that escaped, all the 646 00:34:45,294 --> 00:34:47,854 Speaker 3: other hostages, and I went, all, right, this is it. 647 00:34:47,934 --> 00:34:50,054 Speaker 3: We're going. So I stood up and I started to 648 00:34:50,094 --> 00:34:55,414 Speaker 3: go towards the door, but Mum and Tory were not moving, 649 00:34:56,094 --> 00:34:58,374 Speaker 3: and I was trying to catch their eye, kept turning around, 650 00:34:58,454 --> 00:35:00,134 Speaker 3: you know, not wanting to speak because I didn't know 651 00:35:00,134 --> 00:35:02,574 Speaker 3: where the gunman was, didn't know what was happening with him. 652 00:35:03,734 --> 00:35:06,174 Speaker 3: So I'm kind of trying to indicate to them, come come, 653 00:35:06,214 --> 00:35:08,854 Speaker 3: you know, we're right at the end now, and I'm 654 00:35:08,894 --> 00:35:11,294 Speaker 3: trying to get there, but they weren't moving. I'm thinking, 655 00:35:11,574 --> 00:35:14,374 Speaker 3: why isn't Toy moving, Why isn't Mum moving. They're just 656 00:35:14,534 --> 00:35:17,734 Speaker 3: not shifting, And so in that moment, I just thought, well, 657 00:35:17,734 --> 00:35:19,814 Speaker 3: I can't leave my mother. So I lay down on 658 00:35:19,814 --> 00:35:21,734 Speaker 3: the floor and thought, oh, you know, gum, and I'll 659 00:35:21,814 --> 00:35:25,974 Speaker 3: kill me. But and then that situation went on. But 660 00:35:26,774 --> 00:35:34,854 Speaker 3: later after, after twelve months, later, after the first anniversary, 661 00:35:35,774 --> 00:35:37,654 Speaker 3: Mom and I were having a quiet moment at home 662 00:35:39,054 --> 00:35:42,014 Speaker 3: and I said to her, Mom, do you remember at 663 00:35:42,054 --> 00:35:45,374 Speaker 3: the end, and I'd got up and was going towards 664 00:35:45,414 --> 00:35:48,174 Speaker 3: the door. I said to her, why didn't you and 665 00:35:48,254 --> 00:35:53,134 Speaker 3: Tory run? Because I could never understand why Tori didn't run. 666 00:35:53,774 --> 00:35:57,014 Speaker 3: And my mom said to me, oh, well, I was 667 00:35:57,014 --> 00:35:59,574 Speaker 3: saying to Toy, you know, you go, you go, and 668 00:35:59,614 --> 00:36:02,014 Speaker 3: she's making this motion. She was like she was elbowing 669 00:36:02,054 --> 00:36:04,094 Speaker 3: him in the side, saying, you go to it, you go, 670 00:36:04,614 --> 00:36:08,294 Speaker 3: and he said to her, no, I'll stay, I'll stay 671 00:36:08,294 --> 00:36:12,614 Speaker 3: with you. So in that moment, twelve months after the event, 672 00:36:13,454 --> 00:36:17,414 Speaker 3: I suddenly realized that Tory Johnson had made a deliberate 673 00:36:17,534 --> 00:36:21,454 Speaker 3: choice to stay, to stay and look after my mother, 674 00:36:22,334 --> 00:36:28,654 Speaker 3: which you know is for our whole family. That is profound, 675 00:36:29,494 --> 00:36:34,734 Speaker 3: and I understand the grief that his family must feel 676 00:36:35,734 --> 00:36:38,654 Speaker 3: that his brave heart made that choice in that moment, 677 00:36:40,254 --> 00:36:43,614 Speaker 3: because if he had not, he would not have been 678 00:36:43,654 --> 00:36:47,214 Speaker 3: there to be the one who was killed. So, you know, 679 00:36:47,294 --> 00:36:54,054 Speaker 3: it's just, you know, it's hard, and I feel for 680 00:36:54,174 --> 00:36:57,574 Speaker 3: his family, But I think to myself, what an amazing 681 00:36:58,214 --> 00:37:03,454 Speaker 3: brave young man. And you know, his parents, his mother 682 00:37:03,574 --> 00:37:09,494 Speaker 3: and of course his partner Thomas. His bravery doesn't replace 683 00:37:09,734 --> 00:37:14,254 Speaker 3: him for them. But you know, our family, we are 684 00:37:14,334 --> 00:37:19,134 Speaker 3: forever grateful because in lots of ways, you know, that 685 00:37:19,254 --> 00:37:21,614 Speaker 3: gave us three and a half more years with our 686 00:37:21,654 --> 00:37:28,254 Speaker 3: mother and m It's you know, it's in my heart. 687 00:37:30,574 --> 00:37:34,054 Speaker 1: Why do you think that the gunman chose Tori Because 688 00:37:34,054 --> 00:37:38,134 Speaker 1: Tory was the last man in the cafe and he 689 00:37:38,374 --> 00:37:39,894 Speaker 1: was the final authority figure. 690 00:37:40,894 --> 00:37:44,414 Speaker 3: So he called Tory to. You know, he positioned Mum 691 00:37:44,454 --> 00:37:47,614 Speaker 3: and I either side of him and told us to 692 00:37:47,654 --> 00:37:49,574 Speaker 3: keep our eyes closed and we wouldn't get hurt. How 693 00:37:49,614 --> 00:37:51,814 Speaker 3: many ridiculous really is if you do that? But then 694 00:37:51,854 --> 00:37:52,734 Speaker 3: he called Tory over. 695 00:37:53,014 --> 00:37:55,494 Speaker 1: Do you mean as if you'd keep your eyes? So 696 00:37:55,534 --> 00:37:56,814 Speaker 1: you didn't keep your eyes? 697 00:37:56,534 --> 00:37:59,294 Speaker 3: No, it's dark in the cafe and we're either side 698 00:37:59,294 --> 00:38:01,654 Speaker 3: of him, Mumm and I. And then he called Tori 699 00:38:01,734 --> 00:38:04,494 Speaker 3: over and said you manager kneel on the floor and 700 00:38:04,494 --> 00:38:05,854 Speaker 3: put your hands on your hand. And it was just 701 00:38:06,614 --> 00:38:08,134 Speaker 3: that moment of oh my god. 702 00:38:08,374 --> 00:38:11,374 Speaker 1: You know, I don't want to ask you to relive 703 00:38:11,414 --> 00:38:13,814 Speaker 1: that moment, but the ways are, how do you get 704 00:38:13,814 --> 00:38:15,934 Speaker 1: over any of this? Like I look at you sitting 705 00:38:15,934 --> 00:38:18,934 Speaker 1: in front of me, and I know people go to 706 00:38:18,974 --> 00:38:23,054 Speaker 1: war and that's essentially what you did. How do you 707 00:38:23,094 --> 00:38:24,214 Speaker 1: do it? How do you recover? 708 00:38:26,814 --> 00:38:31,414 Speaker 3: Everyone's experience is different, and trauma and we talk about 709 00:38:31,454 --> 00:38:35,134 Speaker 3: post traumatic stress, and you know, trauma is a really 710 00:38:36,334 --> 00:38:41,614 Speaker 3: bizarre kind of thing. And for me personally, I think 711 00:38:41,654 --> 00:38:46,014 Speaker 3: that this is my experience. Mum's experience was very different. 712 00:38:46,734 --> 00:38:54,214 Speaker 3: But for me, I went into a place of post trauma. 713 00:38:54,454 --> 00:38:57,774 Speaker 3: Like I was so overwhelmed with the gratitude, so grateful 714 00:38:57,894 --> 00:39:01,094 Speaker 3: that I'd been spared in that moment, so grateful that 715 00:39:01,174 --> 00:39:04,534 Speaker 3: there was a future, and so grateful you know, Mum 716 00:39:04,614 --> 00:39:07,774 Speaker 3: was still alive and you know, and also that I 717 00:39:07,814 --> 00:39:10,814 Speaker 3: could have a refocus and I just had that determination 718 00:39:10,894 --> 00:39:13,054 Speaker 3: that we were going to get something good out of 719 00:39:13,054 --> 00:39:18,734 Speaker 3: that awful situation. So for me, I feel in hindsight 720 00:39:18,814 --> 00:39:22,774 Speaker 3: now that I went into a kind of post euphoria 721 00:39:24,934 --> 00:39:29,454 Speaker 3: and that pushed me forward. And that, of course, I 722 00:39:29,494 --> 00:39:33,534 Speaker 3: have to say, comes from you know, my practice, my 723 00:39:33,574 --> 00:39:36,494 Speaker 3: practice of prayer, my practice of faith, and all those 724 00:39:36,534 --> 00:39:39,214 Speaker 3: things that were already in my life and were part 725 00:39:39,254 --> 00:39:43,454 Speaker 3: of you know, my inner life, and so all of 726 00:39:43,454 --> 00:39:49,094 Speaker 3: those things built into that. But at the same time 727 00:39:49,294 --> 00:39:52,734 Speaker 3: and equally as potent I have to say, is the 728 00:39:52,894 --> 00:39:57,614 Speaker 3: overwhelming anxiety. Now, this is really interesting how we think 729 00:39:57,654 --> 00:40:02,134 Speaker 3: about anxiety. But for me, I understood how I felt 730 00:40:02,374 --> 00:40:05,894 Speaker 3: immediately in those final moments. And when I say, the 731 00:40:05,894 --> 00:40:10,414 Speaker 3: adrenaline was dripping out of me physically, could feel like 732 00:40:11,014 --> 00:40:14,254 Speaker 3: my entire body was engaged in the adrenaline and I 733 00:40:14,294 --> 00:40:17,334 Speaker 3: could feel it and I was just maxed out, There's 734 00:40:17,334 --> 00:40:19,414 Speaker 3: no other way to describe it, maxed out. And it 735 00:40:19,414 --> 00:40:24,214 Speaker 3: was almost like my brain was expanding. And so what 736 00:40:24,374 --> 00:40:28,174 Speaker 3: happens for me now five years later, still I can 737 00:40:28,254 --> 00:40:32,014 Speaker 3: find that I can I can be some sort of circumstance. 738 00:40:32,054 --> 00:40:35,614 Speaker 3: It could be traffic, or it could be any little moment, 739 00:40:35,894 --> 00:40:41,934 Speaker 3: no random reason. But anxiety comes instantly from like zero 740 00:40:42,294 --> 00:40:46,174 Speaker 3: to one hundred in an instant, and I can recognize 741 00:40:46,174 --> 00:40:48,134 Speaker 3: it's in my body and I go, yes, I know 742 00:40:48,334 --> 00:40:50,974 Speaker 3: my body has gone from zero to one hundred to 743 00:40:51,014 --> 00:40:56,054 Speaker 3: one thousand exactly right there. It's the same feeling that 744 00:40:56,134 --> 00:40:59,614 Speaker 3: I experienced in that moment at the end, and I 745 00:40:59,654 --> 00:41:02,454 Speaker 3: haven't worked out how to turn it off yet, but 746 00:41:02,534 --> 00:41:06,174 Speaker 3: I have worked out how to steal my heart and 747 00:41:06,334 --> 00:41:11,694 Speaker 3: just control myself as opposed to okay, I'm here and 748 00:41:11,734 --> 00:41:14,094 Speaker 3: then I'm there, And some days I can be good 749 00:41:14,094 --> 00:41:16,294 Speaker 3: at it, and some days I'm not so good at it, 750 00:41:16,614 --> 00:41:20,174 Speaker 3: And I'm very blessed because I'm surrounded by a family 751 00:41:20,174 --> 00:41:24,094 Speaker 3: who understand and friends who are under control. And sometimes 752 00:41:24,134 --> 00:41:25,694 Speaker 3: it's a moment where a friend will sit and just 753 00:41:26,014 --> 00:41:27,574 Speaker 3: have a little quiet sit and will have a prey. 754 00:41:28,014 --> 00:41:31,454 Speaker 3: And sometimes it's a moment where I go into a 755 00:41:31,494 --> 00:41:35,374 Speaker 3: meditative state or you know, just do the breathing that's 756 00:41:35,374 --> 00:41:38,694 Speaker 3: associated with calming myself. There's all little tricks that you 757 00:41:38,694 --> 00:41:41,814 Speaker 3: can use for that, but it's very real. The thing is, 758 00:41:42,294 --> 00:41:46,134 Speaker 3: anxiety knows no level in that. So I had an 759 00:41:46,134 --> 00:41:49,454 Speaker 3: experience that was pretty tense and out there, but you know, 760 00:41:50,374 --> 00:41:53,214 Speaker 3: anxiety is the same for the woman who's just been 761 00:41:53,254 --> 00:41:56,294 Speaker 3: assaulted in her own home, or for somebody who's facing 762 00:41:56,454 --> 00:41:59,694 Speaker 3: a traffic accident or somebody who's having a stroke. Anxiety 763 00:41:59,894 --> 00:42:03,174 Speaker 3: is no respector of persons, and we all experience it 764 00:42:03,614 --> 00:42:07,454 Speaker 3: in our own individual way, but the same. So you know, 765 00:42:07,494 --> 00:42:10,654 Speaker 3: if someone tells me they've got anxiety, I can really relate. 766 00:42:11,014 --> 00:42:13,814 Speaker 3: And it doesn't matter what caused, it doesn't matter, it's 767 00:42:13,854 --> 00:42:16,054 Speaker 3: all the same. So you know, we need to be 768 00:42:16,174 --> 00:42:18,494 Speaker 3: kind to each other sometimes, you know, because we don't 769 00:42:18,494 --> 00:42:20,254 Speaker 3: know what someone else is going through. 770 00:42:20,854 --> 00:42:23,294 Speaker 1: There's something that happens. I always assume that anyone who 771 00:42:23,414 --> 00:42:28,334 Speaker 1: experiences a tragedy has post traumatic stress and post traumat syndrome. 772 00:42:30,094 --> 00:42:33,814 Speaker 1: But I learned through reading Lee Sales's book that and 773 00:42:34,054 --> 00:42:37,734 Speaker 1: actually through people that I know, not everyone has that. 774 00:42:38,094 --> 00:42:41,574 Speaker 1: Some people have post traumatic growth, which is a little 775 00:42:41,574 --> 00:42:45,094 Speaker 1: bit like the euphoria is probably a different stage, but 776 00:42:45,254 --> 00:42:48,654 Speaker 1: the post traumatic growth is when my friend who had 777 00:42:48,654 --> 00:42:50,974 Speaker 1: a stillborn baby, described it to me as that the 778 00:42:51,014 --> 00:42:53,894 Speaker 1: death of her daughter turned the light up in her life, 779 00:42:53,974 --> 00:42:59,014 Speaker 1: not down, and she didn't expect that. Would you say 780 00:42:59,054 --> 00:43:01,934 Speaker 1: that that's been what this experience has done to you? 781 00:43:02,014 --> 00:43:03,894 Speaker 1: Has it turned the light up in your life? 782 00:43:04,214 --> 00:43:05,134 Speaker 3: God bless your friend? 783 00:43:05,174 --> 00:43:05,374 Speaker 4: You know. 784 00:43:05,414 --> 00:43:08,374 Speaker 3: That is such a beautiful way to express that, And 785 00:43:08,414 --> 00:43:12,414 Speaker 3: that's really exact exactly how it really feels. I have 786 00:43:12,494 --> 00:43:15,574 Speaker 3: found that. I found that for me, I felt like 787 00:43:16,334 --> 00:43:20,014 Speaker 3: I expanded as a human, as a person, so that 788 00:43:20,054 --> 00:43:24,934 Speaker 3: my capacity was more. So, you know, I equally feel 789 00:43:24,974 --> 00:43:30,014 Speaker 3: that expansion of self and my capacity to cope with 790 00:43:30,054 --> 00:43:34,294 Speaker 3: more in many ways coupled with the balancing effect of 791 00:43:34,694 --> 00:43:40,734 Speaker 3: oh yeah, all that random anxiety and distress and pressure. 792 00:43:41,494 --> 00:43:45,854 Speaker 3: So it's very finely tuned and needs to be very 793 00:43:45,854 --> 00:43:49,974 Speaker 3: finely balanced. But if I look forward and focus myself 794 00:43:50,014 --> 00:43:53,294 Speaker 3: that way, it very much is about that. So now 795 00:43:53,334 --> 00:43:56,054 Speaker 3: I feel like, Okay, what else is out there that 796 00:43:56,094 --> 00:44:00,894 Speaker 3: we need to fix? Change, grow, evolve? What are the 797 00:44:00,974 --> 00:44:04,014 Speaker 3: other things that need to be looked at postiege that 798 00:44:04,614 --> 00:44:07,414 Speaker 3: business that we need to do as a society, within 799 00:44:07,454 --> 00:44:11,894 Speaker 3: our institutions, and of course for me as well being 800 00:44:11,894 --> 00:44:15,774 Speaker 3: involved with the nurses. So you know, it's just I 801 00:44:15,814 --> 00:44:19,334 Speaker 3: feel like there's no there's no place to say no anymore. 802 00:44:20,014 --> 00:44:21,214 Speaker 3: We just got to go forward. 803 00:44:21,774 --> 00:44:24,734 Speaker 1: You started a foundation, oh to help nurses. Tell me 804 00:44:24,774 --> 00:44:26,734 Speaker 1: about your time in hospital after the scene? 805 00:44:26,734 --> 00:44:26,894 Speaker 3: Wow? 806 00:44:27,134 --> 00:44:30,134 Speaker 1: Well hospital, okay, you were there for a long time. 807 00:44:31,054 --> 00:44:34,694 Speaker 1: It just was full on seems unfair after what you 808 00:44:34,774 --> 00:44:35,214 Speaker 1: went through. 809 00:44:35,334 --> 00:44:37,054 Speaker 3: I know it was that kind of you just don't 810 00:44:37,054 --> 00:44:40,854 Speaker 3: imagine that, you know, Like seriously, I thought, okay, well 811 00:44:40,854 --> 00:44:42,494 Speaker 3: once because I really I thought I was going to 812 00:44:42,574 --> 00:44:44,414 Speaker 3: lose my foot. I really had that moment. We had 813 00:44:44,414 --> 00:44:46,614 Speaker 3: a hole in it it certainly, did you know? 814 00:44:46,734 --> 00:44:48,614 Speaker 1: And what do it look like when I looked at it? 815 00:44:48,694 --> 00:44:50,854 Speaker 3: Well, you know, it was pretty when it was first done. 816 00:44:50,894 --> 00:44:53,334 Speaker 3: It was just like horrendous. Like I used to get 817 00:44:53,334 --> 00:44:55,654 Speaker 3: in a little state of shock whenever they redressed the wound, 818 00:44:55,974 --> 00:44:58,054 Speaker 3: because it was just the shock of seeing it, you know. 819 00:44:59,294 --> 00:45:01,454 Speaker 3: But of course now it looks now, it looks like 820 00:45:01,534 --> 00:45:04,734 Speaker 3: I describe it as someone's got the barmacs and gone 821 00:45:05,254 --> 00:45:07,974 Speaker 3: on my foot. It's just it's a classic honey home 822 00:45:08,054 --> 00:45:11,174 Speaker 3: wound and it's some messy, just to say the least. 823 00:45:11,214 --> 00:45:14,174 Speaker 3: But you know, three months in hospital was not what 824 00:45:14,214 --> 00:45:16,494 Speaker 3: I expected. I thought i'd be there two weeks, you know, 825 00:45:16,814 --> 00:45:18,294 Speaker 3: by the time Chris, I'll be out, and I thought 826 00:45:18,294 --> 00:45:20,774 Speaker 3: it'd be out for New Year Christmas. That didn't happen, 827 00:45:20,854 --> 00:45:22,534 Speaker 3: and it just kind of extended. It extends. 828 00:45:22,534 --> 00:45:24,494 Speaker 1: You needed operations, reconstruction. 829 00:45:24,654 --> 00:45:27,254 Speaker 3: That's why I had three surgeries and then and then 830 00:45:27,294 --> 00:45:30,214 Speaker 3: of course rehabilitation, and so I went from Prince of 831 00:45:30,254 --> 00:45:32,534 Speaker 3: Wales to a private hospital in the Eastern suburbs and 832 00:45:33,094 --> 00:45:36,494 Speaker 3: so that was a long time in hospital. But that 833 00:45:36,614 --> 00:45:41,214 Speaker 3: time gave me well, really, you don't think about it 834 00:45:41,254 --> 00:45:43,854 Speaker 3: in the moment, but in hindsight I realized was like 835 00:45:43,894 --> 00:45:47,894 Speaker 3: a blessing because it insulated me from the world immediately 836 00:45:47,934 --> 00:45:54,334 Speaker 3: after the siege, and it gave me time for reflection 837 00:45:54,614 --> 00:45:59,774 Speaker 3: and to think forward, and also my experience with the 838 00:45:59,854 --> 00:46:03,654 Speaker 3: nurses then sent me on that journey. And so when 839 00:46:03,734 --> 00:46:06,814 Speaker 3: sixty minutes we're discussing, you know, if we're going to 840 00:46:06,854 --> 00:46:09,254 Speaker 3: talk to them, and like my mother and I knew 841 00:46:10,174 --> 00:46:11,854 Speaker 3: from the go get that we would have to share 842 00:46:11,974 --> 00:46:15,334 Speaker 3: with everyone, because we knew that if we'd been on 843 00:46:15,374 --> 00:46:17,414 Speaker 3: the outside, we would have wanted to know what happened 844 00:46:17,454 --> 00:46:20,094 Speaker 3: to the people on the inside. So we understood that. 845 00:46:20,494 --> 00:46:25,574 Speaker 3: And also because I personally felt that we were all 846 00:46:25,654 --> 00:46:27,654 Speaker 3: part of what happened that day, like this was not 847 00:46:27,654 --> 00:46:29,694 Speaker 3: something that happened to just me and my mother and 848 00:46:29,694 --> 00:46:32,334 Speaker 3: my fellow hostages. It happened to the whole country. So 849 00:46:32,374 --> 00:46:36,894 Speaker 3: we had to be accountable for that. So anyway, when 850 00:46:36,894 --> 00:46:39,574 Speaker 3: sixty Minutes generously gave me that twenty five thousand dollars 851 00:46:39,654 --> 00:46:43,174 Speaker 3: and Mike bed matched that money, had a little fifty 852 00:46:43,174 --> 00:46:45,094 Speaker 3: grand in my hand, and I kind of thought, right, 853 00:46:45,854 --> 00:46:47,374 Speaker 3: I know what I wanted to do with it, because 854 00:46:47,374 --> 00:46:50,174 Speaker 3: I was going to do a little I thought originally 855 00:46:50,174 --> 00:46:52,094 Speaker 3: that I just do a little fundraiser for the nurses 856 00:46:52,414 --> 00:46:54,774 Speaker 3: within my own community, and we get a few grand 857 00:46:54,814 --> 00:46:56,414 Speaker 3: and I give it to the nurses on my ward, 858 00:46:56,854 --> 00:46:59,294 Speaker 3: But fifty grand was a whole lot more money, and 859 00:47:00,254 --> 00:47:03,174 Speaker 3: so I went to the foundation at Prince of Wales 860 00:47:03,574 --> 00:47:08,934 Speaker 3: and the Lulu Salapa, who was the CEO there, brilliant, amazing. 861 00:47:09,214 --> 00:47:11,814 Speaker 3: That foundation runs like a machine, I've got to tell you. 862 00:47:12,254 --> 00:47:14,134 Speaker 3: So of course Lulu had been a nurse in a 863 00:47:14,134 --> 00:47:17,334 Speaker 3: previous life, and so she knew exactly what I was 864 00:47:17,374 --> 00:47:19,414 Speaker 3: saying when I said I don't want this to go 865 00:47:19,454 --> 00:47:21,214 Speaker 3: for a carpet or for a new paint in the 866 00:47:21,214 --> 00:47:23,414 Speaker 3: hospital or anything, or in the boardroom or anything. I 867 00:47:23,454 --> 00:47:26,774 Speaker 3: wanted to be for nurse initiated projects. And she absolutely 868 00:47:26,814 --> 00:47:30,174 Speaker 3: got that. She knew exactly how to create that make 869 00:47:30,214 --> 00:47:32,374 Speaker 3: it happen, and so that's what happened. And of course 870 00:47:32,414 --> 00:47:34,814 Speaker 3: once I started to see what the nurses were doing 871 00:47:34,814 --> 00:47:38,054 Speaker 3: with the money, I couldn't stop, you know, I just 872 00:47:38,094 --> 00:47:41,214 Speaker 3: had to keep trying to raise money and raise awareness 873 00:47:41,214 --> 00:47:43,134 Speaker 3: to the nurses and what they do for us. So, 874 00:47:43,174 --> 00:47:44,614 Speaker 3: you know, I could rave on about this for hours 875 00:47:44,614 --> 00:47:45,694 Speaker 3: because it's my happy place. 876 00:47:46,174 --> 00:47:49,614 Speaker 1: But yeah, that's part of your post traumatic growth also, right, 877 00:47:49,774 --> 00:47:52,974 Speaker 1: finding a way to channel this thing that happened to 878 00:47:53,014 --> 00:47:55,854 Speaker 1: you that was so shocking into something positive. 879 00:47:56,014 --> 00:47:57,294 Speaker 3: Well, you know, it really was an answer to my 880 00:47:57,334 --> 00:47:59,774 Speaker 3: prayer in many ways, because I so wanted something good 881 00:47:59,814 --> 00:48:02,814 Speaker 3: to come out of this, and now I realized that 882 00:48:02,814 --> 00:48:04,654 Speaker 3: the good is not going to come through me. It's 883 00:48:04,654 --> 00:48:06,494 Speaker 3: going to come through the nurses and the work that 884 00:48:06,534 --> 00:48:09,534 Speaker 3: they are doing. Because the nurses, all of their projects 885 00:48:09,654 --> 00:48:12,894 Speaker 3: are about, you know, how to help us as patients, 886 00:48:13,414 --> 00:48:16,214 Speaker 3: and that of course is the universal focus of nurses, 887 00:48:16,334 --> 00:48:20,334 Speaker 3: and so yeah, I just have the privilege of being 888 00:48:20,334 --> 00:48:23,014 Speaker 3: involved in that. I'm just like, my goodness, how blessed 889 00:48:23,014 --> 00:48:23,254 Speaker 3: am I? 890 00:48:23,774 --> 00:48:26,134 Speaker 1: You know, it's funny what you just said about how 891 00:48:26,174 --> 00:48:29,534 Speaker 1: you recognize that it's something that happened to all of us, 892 00:48:30,334 --> 00:48:33,614 Speaker 1: not just the people in the cafe, which sounds almost 893 00:48:34,494 --> 00:48:37,654 Speaker 1: arrogant when you particularly when you think about Tory and 894 00:48:37,774 --> 00:48:41,174 Speaker 1: Katrina and the families that they left behind and all 895 00:48:41,174 --> 00:48:45,254 Speaker 1: of you that were in there. How did you sort 896 00:48:45,254 --> 00:48:48,774 Speaker 1: of become aware that we do all sort of need 897 00:48:48,814 --> 00:48:51,774 Speaker 1: to process and to tell you where we were that 898 00:48:51,854 --> 00:48:53,534 Speaker 1: day and what our connections. I mean, the first thing 899 00:48:53,574 --> 00:48:55,494 Speaker 1: I did when I met you this morning was tell 900 00:48:55,574 --> 00:48:57,814 Speaker 1: you how I had connections to Tory and how I 901 00:48:57,854 --> 00:49:01,254 Speaker 1: had connections to Katrina. It's a lot to take on 902 00:49:02,654 --> 00:49:04,974 Speaker 1: how that affected the kind of the national psyche? How 903 00:49:05,014 --> 00:49:06,054 Speaker 1: did you become aware of it? 904 00:49:06,454 --> 00:49:08,494 Speaker 3: You know, when I think that, like I said, you know, 905 00:49:09,134 --> 00:49:11,614 Speaker 3: I was ware well, you know, like I know how 906 00:49:11,614 --> 00:49:13,854 Speaker 3: we would have been, my mother and I. We would 907 00:49:13,854 --> 00:49:16,334 Speaker 3: have been outside the cafe praying for people. We would 908 00:49:16,334 --> 00:49:18,254 Speaker 3: have stayed up all night, we would have waited with them. 909 00:49:18,454 --> 00:49:20,614 Speaker 3: A nurse once said to me, you know, about a 910 00:49:20,654 --> 00:49:22,574 Speaker 3: week and a half into my stay at the hospital, 911 00:49:22,654 --> 00:49:25,494 Speaker 3: she said, even though I was on morning shift, I 912 00:49:25,534 --> 00:49:27,934 Speaker 3: had to stay up to the very end and watch 913 00:49:27,934 --> 00:49:29,894 Speaker 3: on the television. She said, I couldn't leave you in 914 00:49:29,894 --> 00:49:32,934 Speaker 3: there alone. And I thought, oh, yes, I understand what 915 00:49:32,934 --> 00:49:33,454 Speaker 3: she's saying. 916 00:49:33,534 --> 00:49:35,534 Speaker 1: Yeah, that none of us wanted to go to sleep 917 00:49:35,534 --> 00:49:36,014 Speaker 1: that night. 918 00:49:36,454 --> 00:49:40,174 Speaker 3: Yeah see, you know we're all we're all leaving, that's right, 919 00:49:40,694 --> 00:49:43,854 Speaker 3: And so you I think that we if we recognize, 920 00:49:43,894 --> 00:49:46,414 Speaker 3: this is something that happened to all of us. And 921 00:49:46,454 --> 00:49:48,694 Speaker 3: when you think about what happened in Martin Place after, 922 00:49:49,774 --> 00:49:51,734 Speaker 3: you know, I was in hospital and it was on 923 00:49:51,814 --> 00:49:55,014 Speaker 3: a self imposed media blackout, but friends were bringing me 924 00:49:55,134 --> 00:49:59,494 Speaker 3: news and telling me stories and photographs, flowers, flowers and people. 925 00:49:59,534 --> 00:50:03,494 Speaker 3: They're telling me about random strangers sitting and talking and praying, 926 00:50:03,534 --> 00:50:08,654 Speaker 3: and you know, Muslim people being there and everyone sharing together, 927 00:50:09,254 --> 00:50:11,294 Speaker 3: and and of course the Ride with Me campaign that 928 00:50:11,334 --> 00:50:14,174 Speaker 3: happened afterwards. So all of that stuff you kind of 929 00:50:14,494 --> 00:50:17,294 Speaker 3: I think it very clearly made it obvious that we 930 00:50:17,294 --> 00:50:19,854 Speaker 3: were all in this together. So therefore we had to 931 00:50:19,854 --> 00:50:23,574 Speaker 3: find a way to recover together. So for me, that's 932 00:50:23,574 --> 00:50:26,614 Speaker 3: really important, and part of that is telling our stories 933 00:50:26,654 --> 00:50:29,094 Speaker 3: to each other. And so I have great respect you know, 934 00:50:29,174 --> 00:50:34,814 Speaker 3: people come and tell me. And you know Lisa ELS's book, 935 00:50:34,814 --> 00:50:37,294 Speaker 3: of course, you know she talks about things like that 936 00:50:37,534 --> 00:50:39,894 Speaker 3: where but we all had an ownership, did we not? 937 00:50:40,134 --> 00:50:43,294 Speaker 3: In Threadbow and what happened to poor with Arthur, So 938 00:50:43,414 --> 00:50:45,614 Speaker 3: we all have a part of it. And if we 939 00:50:45,694 --> 00:50:47,774 Speaker 3: think that it's just oh yeah, something that happened on 940 00:50:47,774 --> 00:50:51,774 Speaker 3: a news cycle, well actually it's not. Because we're all 941 00:50:51,814 --> 00:50:54,934 Speaker 3: impacted by these things. So how do we recover together? 942 00:50:55,574 --> 00:50:59,334 Speaker 1: That's incredibly gracious of you to understand that and acknowledge it. 943 00:50:59,414 --> 00:51:02,934 Speaker 1: And I'm going to guess that people would have two 944 00:51:02,974 --> 00:51:07,294 Speaker 1: reactions in terms of the hostages. Some, I imagine, would 945 00:51:07,334 --> 00:51:09,174 Speaker 1: want to stay in touch and feel very bonded, and 946 00:51:09,214 --> 00:51:12,294 Speaker 1: others want to just walk away and never look back. 947 00:51:13,094 --> 00:51:15,014 Speaker 1: Is that how it's panned out with those of you 948 00:51:15,054 --> 00:51:16,654 Speaker 1: who were there and lived through that? 949 00:51:17,054 --> 00:51:21,254 Speaker 3: Definitely, you know, all separate individuals with individual lives and stories, 950 00:51:21,334 --> 00:51:25,574 Speaker 3: and you know, sometimes contact is a reminder of that 951 00:51:25,654 --> 00:51:28,974 Speaker 3: day and that's just too hard. And you know, I 952 00:51:29,014 --> 00:51:33,894 Speaker 3: totally respect that, and you know, my heart's always you know, 953 00:51:34,014 --> 00:51:35,934 Speaker 3: are you okay? And how you doing and all that 954 00:51:36,014 --> 00:51:39,174 Speaker 3: kind of stuff. But I also am aware that I 955 00:51:39,614 --> 00:51:43,054 Speaker 3: myself don't want to be an inflictor of further pain. 956 00:51:43,774 --> 00:51:45,694 Speaker 3: So you know, it's really hard to kind of just 957 00:51:45,734 --> 00:51:50,334 Speaker 3: walk that fine line between respect and care. So yes, 958 00:51:50,454 --> 00:51:56,294 Speaker 3: you just have to well hands off and wait really, so, yeah, 959 00:51:56,374 --> 00:52:00,094 Speaker 3: do you stay in touch a few of them? I do, Yes, definitely, 960 00:52:00,614 --> 00:52:04,494 Speaker 3: and I value that so much, and I'm always keen 961 00:52:04,574 --> 00:52:07,334 Speaker 3: for any news of anyone else, but just so don't 962 00:52:07,334 --> 00:52:11,694 Speaker 3: want to invade them, you know, because we're five years 963 00:52:12,534 --> 00:52:18,014 Speaker 3: and so, you know, so aren't we inverted commas over 964 00:52:18,054 --> 00:52:21,934 Speaker 3: that already? But it's just it's not like that. It's 965 00:52:21,974 --> 00:52:27,054 Speaker 3: never over, actually, and so I don't never be over 966 00:52:27,094 --> 00:52:30,574 Speaker 3: for the families. But equally, you know, you stand up 967 00:52:30,614 --> 00:52:32,294 Speaker 3: and you dust yourself off and you get on. 968 00:52:32,814 --> 00:52:38,574 Speaker 1: But It's always there, Louisa. I just want to thank you. 969 00:52:38,694 --> 00:52:41,654 Speaker 1: I mean, I understand that so many of the survivors 970 00:52:41,654 --> 00:52:44,094 Speaker 1: from that day and the families have wanted to retreat 971 00:52:45,774 --> 00:52:49,534 Speaker 1: and you haven't. You've kept being out there and speaking 972 00:52:50,494 --> 00:52:53,694 Speaker 1: to be of service and to help us collectively process this, 973 00:52:54,134 --> 00:52:56,454 Speaker 1: as well as trying to use it for good and 974 00:52:56,814 --> 00:53:00,974 Speaker 1: raise money for your foundation and to help nurses. You 975 00:53:01,014 --> 00:53:03,054 Speaker 1: are such a force of good in the world. Like 976 00:53:03,894 --> 00:53:07,134 Speaker 1: for everything that he was a force of dark, you 977 00:53:07,214 --> 00:53:12,094 Speaker 1: are that opposite and that that equal and you know, 978 00:53:12,374 --> 00:53:15,294 Speaker 1: exceptional force of good. And I just wanted to say 979 00:53:15,294 --> 00:53:22,134 Speaker 1: thank you, Thank you, ma'a. I hope that the incredible 980 00:53:22,254 --> 00:53:26,694 Speaker 1: I don't know luminescence of Louisa came through in that 981 00:53:26,774 --> 00:53:29,774 Speaker 1: interview in the same way that it did in the room. 982 00:53:30,254 --> 00:53:34,254 Speaker 1: We were all in tears, my producer, our person behind 983 00:53:34,294 --> 00:53:38,014 Speaker 1: the camera, and the guy that came along with Louisa 984 00:53:38,054 --> 00:53:40,694 Speaker 1: as her sort of support person because she walks with 985 00:53:40,734 --> 00:53:43,574 Speaker 1: a cane and sher foot's bandaged, but she had this 986 00:53:43,774 --> 00:53:49,054 Speaker 1: beautiful bright orange patent leather strappy sandals around her foot, 987 00:53:49,134 --> 00:53:52,414 Speaker 1: and she was wearing this gorgeous floral dress and she 988 00:53:52,494 --> 00:53:54,854 Speaker 1: was telling me this amazing story of how the day 989 00:53:54,854 --> 00:53:57,174 Speaker 1: before she'd been in the city and she'd fallen over, 990 00:53:57,254 --> 00:54:00,734 Speaker 1: and she said, that's something that happens not infrequently because 991 00:54:00,774 --> 00:54:02,894 Speaker 1: of her foot and she sometimes loses her footing. And 992 00:54:02,934 --> 00:54:05,414 Speaker 1: she was in the middle of the street and a 993 00:54:05,454 --> 00:54:07,774 Speaker 1: guy came to help her, and he said, oh, he 994 00:54:07,814 --> 00:54:09,174 Speaker 1: noticed that she had a bandage on her foot, and 995 00:54:09,174 --> 00:54:10,374 Speaker 1: he said, oh, were you okay? 996 00:54:10,454 --> 00:54:11,014 Speaker 3: What happened? 997 00:54:11,454 --> 00:54:14,974 Speaker 1: And she said, oh, I was in the siege and 998 00:54:15,014 --> 00:54:17,934 Speaker 1: I got some shrapnel in my foot. And he said, oh, 999 00:54:17,934 --> 00:54:21,454 Speaker 1: my god, my son is best friends with Katrina Dawson's son, 1000 00:54:21,574 --> 00:54:24,534 Speaker 1: and I just dropped both the boys at camp. And 1001 00:54:25,654 --> 00:54:27,574 Speaker 1: of all the people who could have come to help 1002 00:54:27,614 --> 00:54:29,774 Speaker 1: her in the middle of a city on an ordinary day, 1003 00:54:30,774 --> 00:54:34,654 Speaker 1: I don't know. Makes you wonder as you heard towards 1004 00:54:34,694 --> 00:54:37,934 Speaker 1: the end of the siege, Louisa was injured. She got 1005 00:54:37,934 --> 00:54:40,774 Speaker 1: shrapnel in her foot from all the gunfire, and afterwards 1006 00:54:40,774 --> 00:54:43,054 Speaker 1: she was taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital here 1007 00:54:43,094 --> 00:54:46,254 Speaker 1: in Sydney, where she spent three months as a patient, 1008 00:54:46,894 --> 00:54:49,134 Speaker 1: and she was so moved by the care and the 1009 00:54:49,174 --> 00:54:53,254 Speaker 1: compassion that she received there she decided to take this 1010 00:54:53,334 --> 00:54:57,094 Speaker 1: tragedy and turn it into something positive and she created 1011 00:54:57,094 --> 00:55:00,094 Speaker 1: the Louisa Hope Fund for Nurses as part of the 1012 00:55:00,094 --> 00:55:03,294 Speaker 1: Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation. To donate to the Prince 1013 00:55:03,294 --> 00:55:07,134 Speaker 1: of Wales Hospital Foundation Louisa Hope Fund for Nurses, please 1014 00:55:07,214 --> 00:55:12,214 Speaker 1: visit pow HF dot org dot au and we'll put 1015 00:55:12,214 --> 00:55:15,614 Speaker 1: a link in our show notes. This episode was produced 1016 00:55:15,694 --> 00:55:19,534 Speaker 1: by bridget Northeast and to the families of Katrina Dawson 1017 00:55:19,694 --> 00:55:23,854 Speaker 1: and Tory Johnson, re extend all our love and our 1018 00:55:23,894 --> 00:55:28,174 Speaker 1: deepest sympathies. Katrina and Tory are not forgotten. 1019 00:55:30,134 --> 00:55:32,534 Speaker 4: Hey, it's me just jumping back into your ears with 1020 00:55:32,654 --> 00:55:36,934 Speaker 4: no voice now. Since we recorded that interview with Louisa 1021 00:55:37,134 --> 00:55:41,774 Speaker 4: last week, we've also done another interview about the Sydney 1022 00:55:41,974 --> 00:55:45,454 Speaker 4: Link Cafe siege more generally with a journalist called Debra 1023 00:55:45,494 --> 00:55:47,734 Speaker 4: Snow who's written a book on it. We did it 1024 00:55:47,774 --> 00:55:51,054 Speaker 4: on our podcast through Crime Conversations. Jesse Stevens did that 1025 00:55:51,094 --> 00:55:54,094 Speaker 4: interview and it feels in a lot of the blanks 1026 00:55:54,294 --> 00:55:56,214 Speaker 4: that you might have and a lot of the questions 1027 00:55:56,214 --> 00:55:59,494 Speaker 4: that you might have after listening to Louisa's incredible story, 1028 00:55:59,534 --> 00:56:02,054 Speaker 4: because I really had to make a decision when I 1029 00:56:02,094 --> 00:56:04,574 Speaker 4: was talking to her what I would talk to her about, 1030 00:56:04,734 --> 00:56:06,574 Speaker 4: like I could have talked to her for one hundred years, really, 1031 00:56:06,654 --> 00:56:09,134 Speaker 4: she was so interesting. But there were things about the 1032 00:56:09,174 --> 00:56:13,414 Speaker 4: gun about his history, about the police response, about some 1033 00:56:13,494 --> 00:56:16,374 Speaker 4: of the TikTok, and what happened step by step during 1034 00:56:16,414 --> 00:56:19,654 Speaker 4: the day that we just didn't cover. So this other 1035 00:56:19,694 --> 00:56:22,814 Speaker 4: interview on our podcast, True Crime Conversations, you might want 1036 00:56:22,814 --> 00:56:24,854 Speaker 4: to listen to it. You'll find it wherever you find 1037 00:56:24,894 --> 00:56:28,094 Speaker 4: your podcasts. And we've actually done it in two parts. 1038 00:56:28,134 --> 00:56:30,854 Speaker 4: The first part is a little bit about the gunman, 1039 00:56:31,054 --> 00:56:33,294 Speaker 4: or a lot about the gunment actually and what happened 1040 00:56:33,294 --> 00:56:35,774 Speaker 4: before the siege, and then there's a lot about the 1041 00:56:35,814 --> 00:56:38,454 Speaker 4: siege itself in our second part, So have a listen 1042 00:56:38,454 --> 00:56:38,694 Speaker 4: to that. 1043 00:56:39,134 --> 00:56:41,894 Speaker 2: I hope you enjoyed this episode of No Filter with Louisa. 1044 00:56:41,974 --> 00:56:43,974 Speaker 2: Hope you can find a link to follow No Filter 1045 00:56:44,134 --> 00:56:46,014 Speaker 2: in the show notes, as well as the quickie too. 1046 00:56:46,374 --> 00:56:48,534 Speaker 2: And I'll be back here tomorrow morning getting you up 1047 00:56:48,574 --> 00:56:50,294 Speaker 2: to speed on the biggest news stories of the day 1048 00:56:50,414 --> 00:56:51,294 Speaker 2: from six am. 1049 00:56:51,454 --> 00:56:51,934 Speaker 3: See you then,