Antisemitic graffiti spree across Melbourne
Police release CCTV of two men sought over antisemitic vandalism across Elsternwick and Abbotsford.
Victorian Police have released CCTV images of two men they believe can assist with investigations into antisemitic vandalism that targeted six locations in Elsternwick and two in Abbotsford on July 6.
Detectives from Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit said the men used stencils to spray paint antisemitic signs across both suburbs in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The first attack occurred just before 1am, when a wall in Selwyn Street, Elsternwick, was defaced.
The same offenders then targeted two restaurants on Glen Huntly Road, spraying graffiti across their glass windows.
Police believe the pair were travelling in a blue station wagon with two horizontal roof racks, seen parked on May Street around 1.25am before driving south on St Georges Road and east on Glen Huntly Road.
The men then vandalised a vacant shop window and a bus stop on Glen Huntly Road, before spray painting antisemitic signs in two gardens along the same strip.
The graffiti featured a figure resembling Ned Kelly holding two guns and a Nazi Sonnenrad, or black sun symbol behind.
The same neo-Nazi graffiti also appeared on a wall opposite the Melbourne Holocaust Museum.
The two men are believed to have then travelled to Abbotsford, where they spray painted an antisemitic sign on a retail store on Hoddle Street just before 2am.
Shortly after, CCTV captured the men spray painting an antisemitic sign with homophobic writing underneath at a licensed premises on Gipps Street.
The first suspect is described as Caucasian, wearing a black bucket hat, black and white balaclava, black and grey checkered shirt, black pants and black shoes.
The second man has a solid build and was wearing a black baseball cap, black ski mask, black rain jacket, black top, blue denim jeans, black gloves and black shoes.
Investigators are also examining whether the same stencil was used in graffiti at Croydon Railway Station in May 2024.
The attacks occurred during a weekend that saw multiple antisemitic incidents across Melbourne, including an arson attack on the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation while 20 worshippers were inside for Shabbat dinner, and masked protesters storming the Israeli restaurant Miznon in the CBD.
Police are keen to speak to anyone who was in the areas at the time and witnessed suspicious activity.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.