NSW Premier Chris Minns blasts ‘reprehensible’ US consulate damage, warns of rising anti-Semitism

NSW Premier Chris Minns has warned of rising anti-Semitism across the state after the US consulate in Sydney was damaged and tagged with Hamas symbols.

The US Consulate in Sydney was damaged and tagged with Hamas symbols. Picture: Brendan Read

NSW Premier Chris Minns has warned of “rising anti-Semitism” across the state as he slams “reprehensible” damage to the United States consulate, which was smashed and tagged with Hamas symbols on Monday morning.

The North Sydney consulate, on Miller St, was left with nine hammer holes and two red inverted triangles, commonly used by Hamas in propaganda videos to identify the Israeli targets it seeks to destroy.

NSW Police has said it’s investigating the incident, and that CCTV footage captured a hooded person holding a small sledgehammer.

A pedestrian looks on at the damage. Picture: Brendan Read

Mr Minns said the incident alienated the “overwhelming majority of Australians”.

“It (the damage) is a criminal act and you’ll be charged by police,” Mr Minns said.

“It’s not the kind of public debate the overwhelming majority of Australians want to have … no one wants to see violence or malicious damage, and I think it’s reprehensible.”

Mr Minns also made a clear warning against rising anti-Semitism in NSW, something he said was “regrettable”.

Repair workers tend to the consulate on Monday. Picture: Brendan Read

“I particularly want to say vilification of the Jewish community … anti-Semitism in NSW is on the rise,” he told reporters on Monday.

“That (anti-Semitism) is a shameful and regrettable event, and we need to make sure that we’ve got the laws in place to keep pace with contemporary events.”

The premier also lamented the “coarsening” of public debate and damage to electorate officers, urging people to make their point “without resorting to violence or malicious damage”.

“There’s a level of arrogance (of) occupying or preventing other constituents from seeing a local member of parliament, or even damaging a public building like the US consulate,” Mr Minns said.

The glass was hit with a sledgehammer. Picture: Brendan Read

“In the long run it probably does more damage to your cause by disrupting public life … It is malicious, often violent and it’s not what we want.”

Earlier on Monday, Anthony Albanese said it was “not the Australian way” and urged for tensions to be cooled.

“People should have respectful political debate and discourse that is in everyone’s interest,” the Prime Minister said.

“I reiterate my call to turn the heat down … measures such as painting the US consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is a crime.”

Hamas’ red triangle symbol has been used often by pro-Palestine activists in recent months, who tagged Mr Albanese’s electorate office with it last week.

Mr Minns also touched on NSW recording its first conviction under the state’s hate-speech laws, enclosed in section 93Z of the crimes act.

NSW Premier Chris Minns speaks on the incident on Monday morning. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“Hate-speech laws, vilification laws in NSW are serious, they’re strong and they’ll be applied,” he said.

On Friday, in the first successful conviction since the offences 2018 enactment, an Indian man had an appeal to quash a 93Z conviction dismissed after his involvement in threats and a brawl in southwest Sydney in mid-2020.

“This is the first conviction and my government made a decision to allow police more authority and discretion to charge people with these offences,” Mr Minns said.

“Everybody has got a responsibility to ensure that when you live in NSW, there are obligations to not vilify and not incite hatred within our community.”

The US consulate is closed today for the King’s Birthday public holiday.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said officers were attending and investigating.

“Officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command were called to Miller St after a person damaged nine windows with a hammer shortly after 3am today,” she said.

“Graffiti was also painted on the door.

“Police have sourced CCTV following a canvass of the area which shows a person wearing a dark-coloured hoodie – with their face obscured – carrying what appears to be a small sledgehammer.”