A Melbourne area resident was arrested after allegedly vandalising a home with antisemitic graffiti and throwing bacon at a passerby, the Victoria Police Force announced on Tuesday.
The 68-year-old Macedon area man was charged with criminal damage, unlawful assault, and offensive graffiti over the Friday incident.
According to police, the suspect allegedly graffitied the fence of a Middle Park home, and when a passerby approached him, the perpetrator allegedly spat and threw a packet of bacon at him.
The suspect was released on bail and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 6.
“There is absolutely no place at all in our society for antisemitic or hate-based symbols and behaviour,” said the Victoria Police.
Port Phillip Mayor Louise Crawford condemned the incident in a Sunday statement, and had reportedly sent a municipal team to remove the graffiti.
“While, thankfully, this incident did not involve physical injuries, it is still a cowardly attack targeting Port Phillip’s Jewish community,” Crawford said. “Port Phillip celebrates and values its diverse community. An attack on any group is an attack on our City’s long-standing value of inclusion for all.”
Wave of antisemitism in Australia
The mayor noted that the Melbourne Jewish community was still recovering from the December arson attack against the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea.
The Friday incident occurred during a wave of antisemitic graffiti incidents across Australia. Homes, vehicles, and fences were vandalized in Sydney suburbs on Friday and Saturday. A home and signs were defaced in a Perth Suburb on Saturday.
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