Second Melbourne restaurant attacked as community reacts
A vegetarian restaurant and a wall opposite the Melbourne Holocaust Museum have been defaced with antisemitic graffiti. This marks the second targeted attack on a Melbourne restaurant within 48 hours, fuelling growing fears about antisemitic violence across the city.
The attack on Ren Dao Vegetarian in Elsternwick comes as Victoria grapples with a wave of incidents, including the attempted firebombing of a synagogue and a mob assault on an Israeli-owned CBD restaurant. Jewish leaders say the situation is spiralling, with calls for urgent action from authorities.
The latest incident occurred early Sunday morning, when vandals spray-painted graffiti on the front of Ren Dao Vegetarian, located on Glen Huntly Road. The graffiti featured a figure resembling Ned Kelly holding two guns. The same image also appeared on a nearby wall, just metres from the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, one of Australia’s most significant Holocaust education centres.
Graffiti on Ren Dao Vietnamese restaurant opposite Melbourne Holocaust Museum (Facebook)
Victoria Police confirmed they are investigating the vandalism, with assistance from counterterrorism officers. CCTV from nearby businesses is being reviewed. The Melbourne Holocaust Museum has not yet commented on the latest incident but has previously expressed concern about escalating antisemitic threats in Victoria.
Synagogue firebombing and Israeli restaurant attack
The Elsternwick graffiti follows three major incidents on Friday night. At the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, one of Victoria’s oldest synagogues, a man allegedly attempted to set fire to the entrance while 20 people were inside for a Shabbat dinner.
Police arrested 34-year-old Angelo Loras from Sydney’s west, charging him with reckless conduct endangering life, criminal damage by fire, and possession of a controlled weapon.
Hours later, masked protesters targeted the Israeli restaurant, Miznon in the CBD. They smashed a window, flipped tables, and threw chairs while chanting ‘death to the IDF,’ terrifying staff and diners.
Miznon Restaurant attack (Facebook)
The weekend of attacks also included an arson and graffiti attack at a Greensborough business early Saturday morning, where three cars were set alight and antisemitic slogans were spray-painted on a wall. Police have released CCTV of five suspects seen fleeing on e-bikes.
Zionism Victoria President Elyse Schachna said: “We must be unequivocal: the pogrom on Friday night at both an Israeli restaurant and a synagogue clearly demonstrates that this isn’t just merely anti-Israel, it’s always been about Jews.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry President Daniel Aghion described the situation as “terrifying,” saying: “I don’t know where the next attack will be or when or how, all I can say is that it is statistically likely that it will occur. So far, we have been lucky in that no one has died.”
Australia’s antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal said: “Violent or intimidating protest activity which targets the Jewish community is not protest, it is antisemitism.”
Government under pressure to act
Shadow Police Minister David Southwick, who represents Caulfield, said: “This is a government that is all talk and no action. I can tell you, the Jewish community feel like there is a warzone here in Melbourne as we speak.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan condemned the synagogue attack as “an act of hate” but has faced criticism for not visiting the sites over the weekend. She is expected to meet synagogue leaders on Monday.
The Premier has announced a new Anti-Hate Taskforce to advise the government on strengthening police powers and enforcing anti-vilification laws. The taskforce will include the Premier, Police Minister, Victoria Police, Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, and representatives of the Jewish community, with other stakeholders to be added.
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) welcomed the taskforce. President Philip Zajac said: “We are especially grateful that the Victorian Government will support counselling for those who were in the synagogue on Friday night. It was a terrifying evening for all involved, but this was alleviated, in part, by a very uplifting Shabbat service on Saturday morning.”
Zajac also called for tougher action on protests, stating: “The scenes we saw at Miznon, a local restaurant that happens to serve Israeli food, were completely abhorrent. We would urge police to continue reviewing footage from the evening. Any offenders that can be identified need to be held to account.”
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said: “It is vital now that we stop these crimes in their tracks, we stop the violent speeches happening across the state, and that will actually stop the actions that are happening and protect people.”
National and international condemnation
The attacks have also drawn widespread condemnation both within and beyond Victoria. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said those responsible must face “the full force of the law.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks as “reprehensible and severe hate crimes that must be uprooted at their source.” He called on the Australian government to “take all necessary measures to bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent such attacks in the future.”
Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, issued a statement saying: “These attacks reflect the growing and real threat against Jews in Australia and around the world, which must be unequivocally denounced.”
Progressive Judaism Victoria labelled the synagogue firebombing and the Miznon attack as “planned, targeted attacks on our people.” The group stated: “Not merely attacks on Jews, these are attacks on Australian democracy, public safety, and our shared belief in respect, diversity, and freedom.”
The Rabbinical Association of Australasia warned: “This was a violent and hateful act, an attack not just on a building, but on the heart of a vibrant Jewish community and on the sacred freedom to worship in safety.”
The Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Victoria said: “We are proud Australian Jews. We are as much a part of this multicultural state as any other community. We deserve to live here in peace and with freedom—without fear, without threats, and without being targeted for who we are.”
Need for education
Independent Member for Wentworth Allegra Spender said education must be central to tackling antisemitism. “My work with Jewish and non-Jewish schools in Wentworth has highlighted the gaps in understanding the extent of the problem, and the many ways antisemitism is expressed, both intentionally and unintentionally,” she said. “Education must encompass understanding the Holocaust, building empathy for those who are different, and teaching skills on how to disagree with respect and critical reasoning. That can help address both antisemitism and broader hate. But a clear definition of antisemitism is vital, and the current disunity amongst our universities on this front is very concerning. We do have some good programs in schools, but they are piecemeal, with delivery varying by school and by state.”
Public urged to assist
The new Anti-Hate Taskforce is due to meet this week, as Victoria faces growing pressure to restore public safety and reassure the Jewish community that hate-fuelled violence will not be tolerated.
Victoria Police have appealed for public help to identify those responsible for the attacks. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Thank you Sylvia, you expain what should have happened and didnt, during the the pogrom at Miznon. A group of young lawyers set up a “Jewish Centre for Law and Justice” to help victims of Antisemitism. They have a website with all the information
Ros in Melbourne
A prominent Melbourne gay bar was also targeted over the weekend with the same graffiti that appeared in Elsternwick. CCTV video of the offenders was recorded at that venue and is being forwarded to Victoria Police.
Anyone who – manifestly NOT being an intending customer – TRESPASSES a restaurant (or any other business), commits acts of vandalism – destroying property (and smashing windows creates broken glass which can cause injury to persons nearby, or to people doing cleanup later), and threatens and terrorises the staff and patrons or clients of the business – is not a ‘protester’; they are a criminal thug. They should all have been arrested and chucked into a paddywagon that very evening and taken off to jail (I understand that it was possible to block off the laneway, such that the thugs could NOT just run away); fingerprinted (and the prints run through the unsolved crimes database! if NY police could do that to arrested *fare-jumpers* the Melbourne police should surely be able to do it to people who had intentionally caused physical endangerment to restaurant patrons and staff.) Criminal trespass; vandalism; threatening to assault; obscene language; I’m sure there are plenty of applicable charges. Frankly, when the initial call was made, the cops should have brought the *dog squad* to make sure that nobody got away and that the thugs knuckled under. I hope that Miznon and all other affected businesses… and the customers whose night out was ruined and became one of sheer terror… imagine if someone’s kid had been injured by flying glass ….or hit by a flung chair…. band together and get some lawyers thinking about who and how much to sue. At the very least, every customer and staff member who was at Miznon that night needs to be setting down a ‘victim statement’. PS I am not Jewish; I am euro-australian by ancestry; I am more and more horrified and outraged by the explosion of atavistic Jew-hatred that has been unloosed in my country as a result of a tsunami of what I know to be utterly false anti-israel propaganda – sheer nonsense-and-lies – and the cowardice and complicity of far too many of our current lot of politicians who seen to have unquestioningly gobbled up said propaganda. Know that I stand with my Jewish fellow citizens and with the nation and people of Israel.