Merely one of those nasty hate crimes…
From the Sydney Morning Herald and 7News Queensland
Police have said a car ramming the gates of an inner-Brisbane synagogue on Friday night was not an act of terrorism, as they pointed to other factors behind the targeted attack.
Shortly after 7pm on Friday, a Toyota Hilux utility was driven towards the Brisbane Synagogue on Margaret Street, narrowly missing a passerby and knocking down the building’s gates.
Acting Superintendent Michael Hogan said a 32-year-old Sunnybank man had been taken into custody within 90 minutes of the attack.
“He’s used his own motor vehicle, which greatly assisted the police in identifying who the person was,” he said.
Officers suspected the driver acted alone, and said there was no ongoing threat to the community.
He was later arrested outside the Holocaust Museum Sounds like he had a plan and a theme.
Police said a 32-year-old Sunnybank man was expected to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday charged with wilful damage, serious vilification or hate crime.
He is also accused of dangerously operating a vehicle and possessing dangerous drugs and the utensils for their use.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has described the alleged attack as concerning and says Jewish Australians would be feeling deeply distressed by the incident.
“I have spoken to Jewish leaders, as well as police, and I want to assure Queenslanders we are taking this seriously,” he wrote on social media.
“This is another signal as to why we have put strong laws before parliament to protect all people where they worship.”
According to this broadcast from 7News the man arrested is Matthew De Campo aged 32 who is in custody, the magistrate having refused him bail. He is known to the police and denies any hate crime, claiming “last night was a bit of a brain snap”
One Response
“A synagogue is a sacred space, a place of prayer, reflection, and community.
To see its gates viciously rammed is profoundly devastating and is not dissimilar to what we have seen throughout the globe – vehicles used as weapons to kill and harm Jews.”
Not to forget that as a Jew, Yehoshua (Latin: Jesus) used to pray in the synagogue about 2000 years ago, in what we call the Land of Israel.