Thousands of heavily armed police officers are patrolling the streets of Sydney as people celebrate the New Year – a rare and stark sight in Australia following the Bondi Beach mass shooting.

As part of heightened security measures, some officers have been authorized to carry high-end weapons. Hanukkah attacks on December 14 targeted Australia’s Jewish community, killing 15 people.

New South Wales (NSW) police said more than 2,500 police officers will be on duty across the city.

The official New Year’s Eve party was suspended at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute’s silence to remember the victims of the attack, while the Sydney Harbor Bridge was lit up with white lights to symbolize peace.

Every year large crowds gather on Sydney Harbor to watch the city’s famous fireworks display. Photos taken from Sydney Harbor showed police patrolling crowds with long-arm weapons.

Ahead of the event, Premier Chris Mings warned that some people might find the sight “intimidating” because police were “carrying guns and weapons you’ve never seen before.”

“But I’m not going to apologize for that. We want people to stay safe in our community,” he added.

British tourists Joe and Lucy said they were reassured by the increased police presence.

The pair were in Melbourne at the time of the shooting and had timed their trip to Australia to coincide with a fireworks display.

“We were worried about coming here for New Year’s Eve,” Joe told the BBC, adding: “But we’ve seen in the news recently… that there will be more police coming here and it will be safer.”

Separately, Mings urged Sydneysiders not to let the “terrible horror crime” in Bondi change the way they live their lives, calling on people to “show resistance” and celebrate the New Year.

Some viewers felt the same way.

Hélène from Belgium stands among the crowd at Observatory Hill in Barangaroo, close to the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

After the attack, she told the BBC that people “cannot live in fear”.

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the harbor in the hours leading up to the countdown, and many official viewing areas were full by early evening.

In the harbor, sailboats dot the water, making it one of the best places to watch the midnight fireworks show.

Sydney’s celebrations kick off a series of events from Dubai to London and New York with its iconic fireworks display.

Additional reporting by Harry Sekulich