Burgertory store in Caulfield gutted by fire after owner attends pro-Palestine rally

Tensions over the conflict in Gaza flared in Caulfield on Friday night after pro-Palestine protestors stormed a park outside a synagogue as footage emerged of the fire at the Burgertory store.

CCTV footage has captured the shocking moment Caulfield burger shop Burgertory was set alight on Friday morning.

The video, obtained by the Herald Sun, shows two people dressed in grey hoodies pull over outside the Glen Huntly Rd shop before smashing the windows and climbing inside.

Moments later, the duo can be seen outside the store where they appear to detonate an explosive within the restaurant.

As fire quickly consumes the shop, the pair rush to their car before speeding off.

On Saturday, there was a visible security presence outside a Caulfield synagogue the morning after pro-Palestinian protesters were pepper-sprayed in a chaotic clash with police, just hours after the Muslim-owned burger store was set alight.

The nasty clash occurred in Princes Park after the Caulfield South synagogue was evacuated as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters stormed a park across the road.

Dozens of attendees were forced out of their Shabbat service about 7.30pm after protesters – draped in Palestinian flags and chanting “free, free Palestine” – gathered outside the synagogue.

Police use pepper spray. Credit: Rukshan Fernando, @therealrukshan/Twitter

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protestors clash in Melbourne's inner south-east on Friday night. Credit: Rukshan Fernando, @therealrukshan/Twitter

A man is arrested after being pepper-sprayed. Picture: Rukshan Fernando, @therealrukshan/Twitter

Police descend on the area. Picture:: Rukshan Fernando, @therealrukshan/Twitter

Footage obtained by the Herald Sun shows protesters clashing with police as they streamed on to Hawthorn Rd following what had started as a mostly peaceful protest in Princes Park.

Dozens of locals, some dressed in Israeli flags, could be heard yelling at the protesters.

Rocks were allegedly thrown from some members of protest, with police forced to use pepper spray to separate the two groups.

Victoria Police said in a statement that about 200 people demonstrated on each side.

“There were no major incidents of note. The was one man sprayed with OC spray and removed from the area under breach of the peace provisions and one man has reported receiving minor injuries after being hit by a rock.”

Tense scenes in Caulfield, Australia. As a pro Palestinian protester broke through police lines to confront members of the Jewish community in Caulfield.

Police stepped in and made an arrest, while also deploying pepper spray. The protest took place near Princess Park adjacent… pic.twitter.com/xY6CZYlMb1

— Rukshan Fernando (@therealrukshan) November 10, 2023

“Police will investigate both incidents further and will review CCTV and vision from the event to detect any other offences,” the statement said.

“Our top priority was keeping the peace to ensure the event did not impact the safety of the broader community. We will continue to retain communication with all communities which have a strong interest in events unfolding in the Middle East.”

Security personnel manned the front of the Maple St synagogue on Saturday morning.

The security guards appeared to be on high alert, taking down registration plates of cars driving past and talking to anyone in the area.

Police were regularly driving through the area.

Local resident Keith, 80, said: “The whole thing is disgusting. It achieves absolutely nothing. It’s not going to solve anything”.

Jayden David, who lives nearby, said he was shocked to see hundreds of protesters flood his local park, outside the Synagogue his family attends.

“It’s quite aggressive to come to a known Jewish area on Shabbat to protest like this,” he said.

Former federal Labor MP for Melbourne Ports – now known as Macnamara – Michael Danby slammed the handling of the protest as “outrageous”.

Violent scenes have erupted in Caulfield tonight after pro-Palestinian protesters stormed Princes Park.

The protest occurred hours after a fire engulfed Palestinian-owned restaurant, Burgertory.

Multiple arrests, protesters pepper sprayed. @theheraldsunpic.twitter.com/OnE24TUoCY

— Carly Douglas (@Carly__Douglas) November 10, 2023

“It was outrageous this demonstration was allowed to take place tonight in a small park directly opposite the synagogue in Maple St, Caulfield,” he told the Herald Sun.

“Worse on advice from Vic Pol. The rabbis and the congregants have had to abandon regular Friday night Shabbat service and were sent home for their own safety.

“Many Australians will wonder what this country is coming to.”

Police monitor crowds outside a Caulfield South synagogue.

Premier Jacinta Allan on Friday night called for Victorians to “show each other love, care and support in these difficult times”.

“It is our diversity that makes us great, and our compassion that unites us – there is never any place for antisemitism or Islamophobia in Victoria,” she said.

Local residents who did not wish to be named due to fears of repercussions described it as “atrocious.”

“We are so sick of the Palestinians inciting violence. Shabbat prayers were cancelled due to safety concerns.

“People should be able to pray in peace,” he said angrily.

Local rabbi, Rabbi Noam Sendor, in a letter to his congregation on Friday afternoon, advised members to “remain calm, determined and vigilant and to continue to stand up against darkness” if they are confronted with threats or violence.

Local residents say they are ‘sick of the Palestinians inciting violence’.

“As you may very well be aware, there is heightened tension in the area of our Shul in the aftermath of the fire on the corner of Hawthorn and Glenhuntly,” he said.

“We are aware that this evening at 7pm there is a planned protest outside Burgertory.

“Certainly we suggest that people avoid the area tonight to and from Shul and remain hyper-vigilant for anything or anyone suspicious.”

Rabbi Noam advised that Shabbat proceedings were set to continue despite the threat, assuring that police would be present in the area.

“We have been in touch with CSG and at this point there is no directive to change the schedule for Shabbat and things should proceed as usual,” he said.

Members of the Shul have been asked to report anything suspicious, to “remain calm, determined and vigilant and to continue to stand up against darkness and hate through observance of Torah and service of Hashem”.

Burgertory owner Hash Tayeh. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Israelis gather after Burgertory fire

A group of about 100 Israelis gathered near the burnt Burgertory store in show of solidarity and support.

Angelo, 53, said: “We’re here to show support for Israel”.

“I have no issue with them coming here, but all they want to do is cause trouble,” he said.

Hana, 50, said: “We want to go to Shabbat dinner. We missed the Shabbat candlelight and we’re meant to be home by now but if we don’t do this, who will?

“We live in the area, they (the Palestinians) don’t – they’ve just come here to cause trouble,” she said.

Cars driving passed with Palestinian occupants hurled abuse at each other with one passenger spitting at the group and yelling out, “Sharmootas”.

Tensions between the two faith communities reached boiling point on Friday after news spread that the popular burger restaurant went up in flames overnight.

In a shocking video posted online on Friday, a man filming the gutted shop front can be heard making fun of children killed in Gaza.

“Oh something smells burnt. I don’t know if that’s the cooking or the smell of burnt children in Gaza,” he said.

“Burn in hell.”

Victoria Police said the blaze was being treated as suspicious but have flagged that is unlikely to have been racially motivated.

The fire comes just one week after restaurant owner Hash Tayeh came under fire for attending a pro-Palestine march where he was captured in a video chanting “from the river to the sea” – which is widely recognised as a call for the destruction of Israel.

The Caulfield store is nestled in the heart of the Melbourne Jewish community, leading to fierce backlash from locals.

Tensions escalated outside the burnt-out store on Friday afternoon, with police having to intervene after two groups got into a scuffle.

It’s understood a pro-Palestinian group marched from Monash University in Caulfield to the store, where officers were forced to separate the groups.

Police detained several people outside the store to “keep the peace”.

“Police responded to reports of people clashing in Caulfield on 10 November,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

The Burgertory store in Coburg north. Picture: Facebook

“It’s believed a verbal altercation took place between around 15 people on Glen Huntly Rd just after 2.30pm.

“A number of people were detained briefly in an effort to keep the peace. One female was arrested briefly for failing to provide identification.

“No one was injured during the incident.

“Police will maintain a presence in the area for community safety and to prevent any breaches of the peace.”

The Melbourne-based businessman, who owns the fast-food chain across Melbourne, posted an open letter to the city’s Jewish community last week after vision emerged of him at the rally.

“I write to address the troubling rumors (sic) that have been circulating about myself, suggesting that I hold anti-Semitic sentiments due to my attendance at pro-Palestinian rallies,” he wrote.

“I want to make it abundantly clear that these rumors (sic) are unfounded and far from the truth.”

Mr Tayeh said dozens of his family members had been killed in the conflict.

“I’ve had 38 family members killed and 2 orphans I’ve been sponsoring for the last five years aged seven and nine both killed,” he wrote.

Days after the vision emerged, the burger joint was flooded with negative reviews online, with one disgruntled customer calling for the Caulfield store to be “boycotted”.

“Disgusted to see the CEO of this company being caught out calling for (the) death of Jews today,” the review read.

The inside of the Caulfield store on Friday. Picture: Instagram

“You’ve lost many Jewish customers, and your store in Caulfield will be boycotted.”

Victoria Police Inspector Scott Dwyer said the force were treating Friday’s blaze as a “stand-alone” incident and cautioned those making assumptions on who may have caused the fire.

Insp Dwyer failed to say whether there were any suspects.

“I’d like to point out, at this stage, there is nothing to indicate that this incident is related to any religious or political involvement,” he said.

“I am confident that this is not religiously or politically motivated.

“This incident, again, is a criminal act, it’s a suspicious fire that’s been linked, I would warn people not to make assumptions or draw lines of inquiry that aren’t there between this incident and anything else that is occurring.

“We are treating this as a stand-alone incident, and I would encourage the community to treat it as such.”

Early last week, the Burgertory store on Sydney Rd in Coburg North proudly flew two Palestinian flags above the shop.

In social media comments attached to the video of the Palestinian flags, a friend of Mr Tayeh’s compared the Israeli government to the Nazis, posting an image with a swastika at the centre of a Star of David.

“Thank you for all your support over the last week brother,” Mr Tayeh said, before his friend fired the image into the comment section.

Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, said he was concerned the “chilling explosion of violence” would “turn deadly”.

“Something very wrong is happening in the city I love,” he told the Herald Sun.

Dvir Abramovich said he fears the violence in Melbourne could turn deadly. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

“This deliberate and terrifying outburst of antisemitism and intimidation that took place in the heart of the Jewish community is a warning sign that things are spiralling out of control and that we should all be worried.

“People who are visibly Jewish and businesses are being targeted and harassed at levels never seen before, and I am concerned that this will turn deadly.”

Caulfield MP David Southwick said he acknowledged there were “tensions” in his community in the wake of the fire

“Many are concerned about the fire at Caulfield South Burgertory early this morning,” he said. “I know tensions are running high and people are feeling vulnerable, but we must remain calm and allow police to investigate.

“I will have more to say once VicPol provides an update.”

President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, who noted police had likely ruled out the attack being racial motivated, said “nothing justifies any form of violence”.

“We are aware that during the day on Friday there was also a physical altercation outside the takeaway shop,” he said.

“We deeply respect the right to free speech, and appreciate the ongoing work being done by Victoria Police to protect the community.”

Originally published as Burgertory store in Caulfield gutted by fire after owner attends pro-Palestine rally