Kippah-wearing Jewish man allegedly humiliated, abused in Sydney

A Sydney man who allegedly tagged a university with swastikas allegedly intimidated and humiliated a kippah-wearing Jewish man who was waiting for a bus home | WATCH THE VIDEO

A 20-year-old Sydney man who allegedly tagged a university with swastikas and whose home was raided by terror police allegedly targeted, intimidated and humiliated a kippah-wearing young Jewish man who was waiting for a bus home.

The Australian can reveal how, in late May, accused Christopher Carrig allegedly filmed himself abusing a 20-year-old man wearing a kippah at a bus stop in Macquarie Park, North Sydney, before then posting it to messaging platform Telegram.

“Jews catching the bus … that’s a bit low,” Carrig allegedly told the man, after forcing him to apologise for the clothes he was wearing and say that he wasn’t Jewish, before allegedly telling him his presence “ruined” his day.

Members of the Jewish community alleged the video depicted a “chilling case of anti-Semitism”, given the man was targeted for wearing a kippah and then forced to “deny his Jewishness”.

Carrig was charged in July by NSW Police for allegedly tagging Macquarie University’s campus with swastikas and the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network symbol – at more than 20 locations – in February, and for allegedly intimidating the young Jewish man to cause him to fear for his safety in May.

It followed a July raid by the police counter terrorism command at the home Carrig shared with a 20-year-old woman where “numerous items” related to “extreme right-wing ideology” were allegedly confiscated by officers.

Christopher Carrig at Burwood Local Court in Sydney on Tuesday.

In a tragic turn, after his arrest and that raid, Carrig’s mother and sister – Jennifer, 53, and Ella, 13, who was physically disabled – were found dead at their Marsfield home a few days later on July 11.

There is no suggestion Carrig was involved and The Australian does not suggest he was. At the time of their deaths, NSW Police sources told The Daily Telegraph there were no obvious signs of injury and that detectives were inquiring whether it was murder-suicide.

Carrig’s alleged intimidation and filming of the young Jewish man, who The Australian has chosen to not identify, took place at a bus stop in Macquarie Park.

“Say right now: ‘I won’t wear these shoes again’,” Carrig allegedly ordered the Jewish man, pointing to his Nike trainers in a video overimposed with an anti-Semitic caricature of a Jewish person and with the accused’s voice distorted.

“Good goy … Say ‘I’m a good little goyim’.”

The phrase “goyim” is sometimes used by Jewish people to describe non-Jewish people, but which has also been used by members of the neo-Nazi movements as an insulting, conspiracy-laden term.

Members of the Jewish community said the alleged usage of it was clearly to “taunt and degrade”, while forcing a young Jewish man to reject his faith.

“Say you’re a good little goyim … (and) promise you won’t wear those shoes,” Carrig allegedly ordered the Jewish man to say, who refused.

“You look scared … What’s going on?

“You look a bit dopey bro … say that (‘I’m a little goyim’) and I’ll go away.”

Police at Carrig’s Marsfield home in July after the bodies of his mother and sister were found. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Carrig then allegedly told the man they should “go on a little walk”, to which the Jewish 20-year-old declined, saying he was waiting for his bus.

“Jews catching the bus, that’s a bit low,” Carrig allegedly said.

“Go call (your) uncle Goldberg, he’ll get you a BMW.”

Carrig then allegedly ordered the man to apologise for “wasting” the accused’s time.

“You shouldn’t be wasting my time … I was walking by and you just had to sit there and ruin my day,” he allegedly said.

When shown the alleged footage by The Australian, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip called it “disturbing and sickening”, saying it offered further evidence of a “sinister undercurrent” in society that had been “emboldened” across the last 10 months.

“In broad daylight, a young boy innocently waiting for a bus was allegedly harassed, vilified and belittled solely because he was identified as being Jewish,” he said.

“The alleged use of vile anti-Semitic tropes and images, and the packaging up of the abuse into a video for social media, is chilling.”

Carrig appeared at Burwood Local Court on Tuesday where his bail conditions were varied to report to a police station three days a week.

In July, Carrig was charged with disguising his face to commit an indictable offence, destroying property, graffiti, two counts of trespassing, and intimidating to cause fear.

NSW Police were contacted both for information on the “items related to extreme right-wing ideology” allegedly found at Carrig’s home, and whether there was an update on the deaths of his mother and sister.

Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.