‘Catch the b*stards’: Police patrols doubled after daycare attack
The police presence in Sydney’s east will be doubled as the “disgusting” firebombing of a daycare centre prompts fresh anger, and a national cabinet meeting to address the anti-Semitic ‘crisis’.
NSW
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NSW Police are doubling the investigators and number of patrols throughout Sydney’s east after a daycare centre was firebombed in the latest anti-Semitic attack to rock the city.
Premier Chris Minns vowed police would catch the “bastards” responsible for the shocking attack on a Maroubra childcare centre, as he toured the site with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday.
The attack, which saw a building at the non-Jewish childcare set ablaze and anti-Semitic graffiti written nearby, has led senior members of Sydney’s Jewish community to admit that with the number of police and private security patrolling key Jewish buildings, such as places of worship and schools, the “only thing that’s left is getting the military on the streets”.
“It’s a very sad state of affairs … but we’re pretty much at full capacity with police and private security already,” a source said.
“The community is just in a terrible state at the moment.”
Premier Minns labelled the attack “atrocious”.
“I want to make it clear that this is atrocious. Right now NSW Police are conducting a major investigation in relation to who is responsible for this vicious hate crime,” Mr Minns said.
“But I think we know enough already without knowing the identities, to know what kind of people that we are dealing with.
“These are the kind of people that would burn down a childcare centre on the day children are meant to be returning to the classroom, the kind of people that would burn it down because it’s located next to a synagogue, the kind of people that would attack a fellow Australian whom they don’t know because of their race or religion.
“It is completely disgusting, and these bastards will be round up by NSW Police.”
It’s the latest in a series of recent anti-Semitic incidents across Sydney.
On Friday, cars in Dover Heights were set alight, hate-filled messages were spray-painted on them, and red paint was splattered across the walls of a property that Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin previously owned.
Earlier that week — on Monday — vile graffiti reading “Gas the Jews” was scrawled on a wall near a footpath close to Sydenham train station in the city’s inner west.
Days earlier, two synagogues in Newtown and Allawah were targeted in similar hate-fuelled attacks.
In a statement Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed “I have allocated an additional 20 investigators to Strike Force Pearl. This effectively doubles the investigative capacity of Strike Force Pearl, which continues to work tirelessly to identify and arrest those responsible for the recent anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney and put them before the courts”.
“I have also significantly increased proactive taskings aimed to disrupt this type of criminal activity around significant sites and places of worship across Sydney.
“This boost in resources allocated to Strike Force Pearl reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the importance of putting those responsible before the courts as soon as possible. These acts are despicable and have no place in our society.”
HOW THE ATTACK UNFOLDED
Emergency services were called to the Storey St childcare centre in Maroubra shortly before 1am Tuesday following reports of a fire.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the building was significantly damaged.
Anti-Semitic graffiti was discovered spray-painted on an external wall of the property.
The owner of the Only About Children childcare centre said the facility did not have any direct connections to the Jewish community.
But the centre is just a few doors down from a synagogue with its own daycare centre.
The centre’s chief executive, Anna Learmonth, said she was “shocked and horrified” by the damage.
ATTACK CONDEMNED
Politicians, community leaders and Jewish groups vowed to continue the fight against anti-Semitism after the Maroubra daycare centre was torched.
Anthony Albanese called a national cabinet meeting for 5pm on Tuesday.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton criticised the PM for taking more than a year to convene it and address the anti-Semitic “crisis” in Australia.
“The Prime Minister should have demonstrated leadership 15 months ago off the back of the dreadful scenes that Australians watched on the steps of the Sydney Opera House …(but) he chose not to do that,” he said.
Mr Ryvchin highlighted the seriousness of the attack in targeting a childcare centre.
“To plan and execute the firebombing of a childcare centre requires a depth of savagery that is difficult to imagine,” he said.
“Today, families will be having conversations about whether it’s safe to send their children to the places where they should be safest. Places of worship, homes and now preschools have all been targeted by domestic terrorists.”
Visiting the childcare centre on Tuesday afternoon, Liberal senator Dave Sharma was “shocked and appalled” by yet another attack targeting the Jewish community.
“It’s got to stop, and we need stronger leadership in the state and federal governments,” Mr Sharma said.
He added that the perpetrators don’t seem to be “getting the message” and what he would like to see is “stronger law enforcement and political response” to the new attack.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip labelled the attack domestic terrorism.
“This isn’t just a string of anti-Semitic hate crimes — this is a campaign of domestic terrorism and needs to be treated as the crisis it is,” he said.
“All Australians should be outraged at scenes of cars being firebombed on our streets, daycare centres being burned down and places of worship being attacked.”
Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said “this is not who we are”.
“I am both appalled and concerned that individuals would take this repulsive and cowardly action,” Mr Parker said.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said targeting children is “beyond reprehensible”.
SYDNEY RALLY TO PROTEST ATTACKS
Members of Sydney’s Jewish community have gathered to “beg for help” following the latest in a long line of anti-Semitic attacks, demanding action and voicing concerns authorities are failing to protect them.
Speaking at a rally calling for the government to take decisive actions against antisemitism outside state parliament on Tuesday night, Shoshana Eisner, a 52-year-old Jewish woman, labelled the recent attacks in Sydney’s eastern suburbs a form of racism.
“Something has to be done,” she said.
“It’s not that we don’t have laws that don’t protect us, it’s for some reason they are not being acted on.”
Mrs Eisner was joined by the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Wentworth, Ro Knox, who told the crowd of about 200 people the recent incidents were “completely un-Australian”.
“We are standing up against people who think it’s acceptable to firebomb a childhood centre,” Mrs Knox said.
Decked out in Australian flags, the group gathered in a peaceful protest to express disdain for the actions taken against the Jewish community in recent weeks.
Those in attendance sang a number of Hebrew songs and the Australian national anthem before separating.
Rally organiser Eitan Franklin concluded the event by telling members of the community to stay safe and united in tough times.
— with Tyson Jackson, Elizabeth Pike, William Tyson, Aymon Bertah, Madeline Crittenden and Danielle Gusmaroli
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