POLICE arrested a 16-year-old boy after stabbing a bishop at a Christian church in the Sydney suburb of Wakeley.
The incident was captured in a live stream.
Three more people inside the church, including a clergyman, sustained injuries.
The brutal stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel sparked unrest after hundreds of people stormed outside the premises of the Assyrian Orthodox Church, demanding that the police bring the assailant outside so they could get revenge.
Dozens of riot police have been deployed to control the angry crowd. The clashes caused some of the officers and the protesters to get injured.
More than 30 police vehicles and up to 100 officers swarmed the area.
The 53-year-old bishop suffered lacerations and needs to undergo surgery but is now in a stable condition.
Authorities declared the incident as a terrorist attack.
The bishop has been an outspoken opponent of COVID-19 lockdowns and has publicly proclaimed support for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
His views regarding the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed were suspected as a potential motive for the brutal attack.
The incident took place just two days after a 40-year-old assailant with mental health issues killed six people and injured 12 others at a busy shopping center in Sydney.
