The 37-year-old man was allegedly defacing a wall on Anzac Parade when he was spotted by police investigating antisemitic hate crimes.
The 37-year-old man was allegedly defacing a wall on Anzac Parade when he was spotted by police investigating antisemitic hate crimes.
By Sarah McPhee
Updated February 1, 2025 — 6.51amfirst published at 6.14am
Police patrolling Sydney’s eastern suburbs after an escalation of antisemitic incidents have caught a man allegedly drawing Nazi symbols on a wall.
The 37-year-old man was arrested after officers from Strike Force Pearl allegedly witnessed him defacing a wall with a marker pen on Anzac Parade in Kingsford during a high-visibility patrol about 4.30pm on Friday.
“Police saw that the wall had been defaced with a number of drawings and writings, including a Nazi symbol and a swastika,” NSW Police said in a statement.
The man was taken to Maroubra police station and charged with knowingly display by public act Nazi symbol without excuse.
The offence was introduced in NSW in 2022 and carries a maximum penalty, if proven, of 12 months’ imprisonment and/or an $11,000 fine.
The 37-year-old man is due to face Parramatta Local Court on Saturday.
Meanwhile, graffiti was also discovered this week on an electrical box outside the Diamond Bay bowling club in Vaucluse, reading, “You wanna buy a caravan?”
The graffiti follows the discovery of a caravan in Dural, in Sydney’s north-west, filled with mining explosives and a note naming The Great Synagogue in the CBD and The Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst as potential targets.
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“Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command are conducting an investigation after an electrical transformer box was graffitied on Old South Head Road, Vaucluse,” police said.
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Anyone with information regarding that incident is urged to contact South Sydney police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Strike Force Pearl was established in December “to investigate hate crimes with an antisemitic focus across Sydney’s eastern suburbs”.
The aviation command has been using a high-powered light beam during helicopter patrols to illuminate schools, synagogues and streets at risk of attacks to deter vandals.
Police on Saturday announced the doubling of investigators under Strike Force Pearl – to 40 dedicated detectives – had come into effect.
In the statement, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she expects the number of arrests to rise as officers “continue to crack down on this vile antisemitic behaviour”.
“Children shouldn’t feel scared to go to school, people shouldn’t feel afraid to go to prayer or practice their religion,” Webb said.
“The extra investigators under Strike Force Pearl means those who commit antisemitic acts will be caught and brought before the courts. I want to reassure the Jewish community that we will do everything we can to find the perpetrators of these hateful crimes.”
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Sarah McPhee is a court reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter or email.
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