Hundreds of people reportedly clashed with police in south-west Sydney on Monday night after a prominent Orthodox Christian leader was stabbed at the altar of his church. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying mass at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. Three worshippers were also injured in the alleged attack. A live stream of the mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel, who gained a large online following during the Covid pandemic, before the footage was cut off. Police officers outside the church clashed with a large crowd of several hundred people protesting about the stabbing. Riot police were called in to forcibly move the crowd on after police cars were smashed and damaged. Sydney church stabbing: crowds clash with police after bishop stabbed during mass