Retailer Drops Author for Comments Condemning Grief for Bondi Terror Attack

Controversial author Matt Chun’s books will no longer be available on the shelves of one of Australia’s biggest retailers.

Tributes are seen on the overpass, where the attackers carried out their act of terror, in memory of the victims of the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, Australia on Jan. 22, 2026. Steven Markham / AFP via Getty Images

A major book retailer has removed titles from a children’s author who called on Australians not to mourn the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack that killed 15 people and injured another 40.

Dymocks CEO David Allen said his company was on the lookout for any literature connected to the tragedy.

“The Bondi tragedy is heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking, and something that should never have happened, and as we communicated, ‘we are constantly reviewing our offering to ensure our Brand is representing the expectations of our customers,'” he said in a statement made available to The Epoch Times.

“We are doing our best to stay alert to the connections that any literature has had to this terrible tragedy and to respond accordingly, and the steps we have taken with Matt Chun or any other sensitive literature is as a result of this.”

Author’s Article Labels Victims ‘Fascists’

In a Substack article titled, “We Don’t Mourn Fascists,” Chun criticised both the political left and right for expressing sadness over the event, accusing them of falling for what he described as a Zionist, anti-Semitic narrative.

The far-left leaning author denied the existence of anti-Semitism and condemned any expression of grief for the 15 people killed in the Bondi terrorist attack.

“Progressive organisations and community leaders hurriedly produced an avalanche of formal public statements, rushing to co-sign the Zionist rhetoric of ‘rising anti-Semitism,’ ‘terrorism,’ and ‘social cohesion,’” he wrote.

“The shooting was immediately condemned as an anti-Semitic hate crime, a framing shared by major Australian Palestine solidarity groups, ‘anti-Zionist’ collectives, and Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Chun also questioned the role of Chabad, the organiser of the Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach, alleging it was a network of institutions that facilitated “the ongoing Zionist and Euro-American imperialist holocaust of Palestine.”

“The Chabad of Bondi holds regular events to advance settler-colonisation in Palestine amidst the ongoing extermination of Gaza,” he wrote.

Chun, whose legal name is Matthew Jones, has penned several children’s books and is the recipient of multiple taxpayer-funded grants and awards.

The Epoch Times has contacted Chun for comment.

Jewish Group Praises Bookseller’s Response

Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory praised the book seller’s response.

“Dymocks has done the right thing and shown corporate leadership,” he said.

“Matt Chun’s comments after the Bondi massacre were repugnant and entirely inappropriate.

“His publisher and other booksellers should seriously consider whether they want their brands associated with someone who uses tragedy to spread hatred.”

Police say investigations into Chun’s conduct are ongoing.