Thousands of people have turned out in Sydney to pay tribute to the victims of the Martin Place siege, which ended when the police stormed a cafe yesterday, Radio New Zealand reports.
Barrister and mother of three Katrina Dawson, 38, and Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, were killed in the siege, along with hostage-taker Man Haron Monis, as the 16-hour crisis at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe came to an end.
Floral tributes are being left by members of the public and political leaders in what has become a spontaneous memorial in Martin Place, with condolence books also available for people to sign.
Flags on all government buildings have been flying at half-mast in a sign of respect for the victims.
At an impromptu shrine set up in Martin Place, colleagues from Ms Dawson's legal chambers, Eight Selborne, added flowers and tributes to the makeshift memorial that grew throughout Tuesday. “She was very lovely, very vivacious, happy, loving woman, a very loving mother,” a woman named Penny told AAP. “We miss her terribly.”
The devastated family of 34-year-old Johnson, who leaves behind a long-term partner, issued a statement expressing their heartbreak. “We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori, gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for,” it said.
Reports have emerged of heroic acts - that Dawson died as she tried to protect a pregnant colleague, and that Johnson tried to wrestle the gun from Monis - but NSW deputy police commissioner Catherine Burn said it was too early to speculate on what happened inside the cafe.