Antisemitism campaigner targeted by police
Zara Cooper has appeared in court after Victoria Police applied for a personal safety intervention order (PSIO) against her on behalf of Sarah Schwartz.
Victoria Police have been granted more time to collect evidence on Zara Cooper’s alleged harmful social media posts against Sarah Schwartz despite providing 26 pages of social media content to the court.
Earlier this week police applied for a personal safety intervention order (PSIO) on behalf of Schwartz, the leader of far-left group Jewish Council of Australia, alleging Cooper’s online commentary is severely affecting her mental health.
Cooper, who posts under Clammy Fraud on social media, appeared before Magistrate Michelle Hodgson in Melbourne on Tuesday morning and according to The Australian was flanked by a number of Jewish supporters, including the high-profile Holocaust survivor Nina Bassat.
Schwartz, however, did not attend the hearing in person. Both Cooper and Schwartz are Jewish lawyers.
According to the intervention order application, police are seeking to prohibit Cooper from going within 5m of Schwartz, or within 200m of where she lives or works.
The order would also stop her from publishing anything online about Schwartz.
Cooper has been critical of the Jewish Council and Schwartz, while Schwartz has previously written about how “the right to protest, free speech and academic freedom are central tenets of a functioning democracy”.
Victoria Police told The AJN they received a formal report at Northcote Police Station on February 21, 2025, in relation to “an extensive series of social media posts directed at a 34-year-old woman”.
“The complainant stated these posts, which allegedly include depictions of her face with Nazi imagery, are adversely affecting her mental health,” said a police spokesperson.
“Victoria Police has applied for a personal safety intervention order on behalf of the complainant. Such orders can be made to protect a person from unwanted behaviours, including online harassment.”
Cooper has never met Schwartz in person, nor has she spoken with her or threatened her.
Her small Instagram account is dedicated to calling out antisemitism and fighting for improved online safety. Yet it is at risk of being censored, while multiple online activists with far larger platforms continue to menace the Jewish community and cause tangible harm.
More than a year ago 600 Jews were doxxed, resulting in real and legitimate threats and serious consequences for them. The perpetrators have still not faced any consequences.
Before adjourning on Tuesday, the court heard that Schwartz did not provide any harmful social media posts to police.
The court will decide whether the PSIO is granted or whether the application will be dismissed.
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