Police release CCTV after Melbourne antisemitic graffiti attacks

Victorian Police have released CCTV images of two men following a string of antisemitic vandalism incidents in Elsternwick and Abbotsford in July.

Detectives from the Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit say the men used stencils to spray paint antisemitic symbols at six sites in Elsternwick and two in Abbotsford in the early hours of Sunday 6 July.

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 George’s Road and east on Glen Huntly Road.

Soon after, more graffiti appeared on a vacant shop window and a nearby bus stop on Glen Huntly Road, along with antisemitic signs placed in two gardens along the same strip.

The two men are believed to have then driven to Abbotsford, where a retail store on Hoddle Street was vandalised just before 2am. A short time later, an antisemitic sign with homophobic language underneath was spray-painted on the window of a licensed venue on Gipps Street.

Police described the first man as Caucasian, wearing a black bucket hat, a black and white balaclava, black and grey checkered shirt, black pants and black shoes. The second man is of solid build, 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 a possible link to similar graffiti using the same stencil at Croydon Railway Station in May.

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who saw suspicious activity in the affected areas to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.