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An online fundraiser has raised more than $100,000 for a man who confronted the Bourke Street terrorist with a shopping trolley during Friday’s deadly attack.
Michael Rogers, who is homeless, drew widespread praise for pushing the trolley repeatedly at Hassan Khalif Shire Ali as the 30-year-old man attempted to stab police.
Mr Rogers, who is believed to be homeless, said yesterday he was “no hero” and was simply trying to help.
The GoFundMe page was set up by Melbourne woman Donna Zen, who described Mr Rogers as an “absolutely incredible human” who was “humble” and had no idea about the fundraiser.
“We’ve since learned that our hero ‘Trolleyman’ [is] homeless and that his phone was destroyed in the incident,” Ms Zen said on the page.
“We believe his efforts deserve a reward that can really help him out.
“We’ll be catching up … to hand over his donations. He is amazing.”
State funeral offered for cafe co-owner
Meanwhile, the family of Sisto Malaspina — the co-owner of popular Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar who was fatally stabbed by Shire Ali — is considering the offer of a state funeral.
The death of 74-year-old Mr Malaspina prompted an outpouring of grief from Melburnians, many of whom had fond memories of a coffee or a plate of pasta at the Italian cafe on Bourke Street, which Mr Malaspina had co-owned since 1974.
Staff posted a tribute to “the best boss” in the window of the store on the weekend, as hundreds paid their respects and a violinist performed a musical ode to the restaurateur.
Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday revealed he had spoken with Mr Malaspina’s family and made the offer of a full state funeral.
“He was an incredible person,” Mr Andrews had tweeted in response to Mr Malaspina’s death.
“I hope that he is someone who will be remembered for his life on Bourke Street, not his death.”
Topics: terrorism, police, law-crime-and-justice, states-and-territories, melbourne-3000
