By Alexander Darling and Crystal Choo
A man accused of hurling a chair at a diner while a group allegedly stormed an Israeli-owned restaurant on Friday night has had his bail revoked, as a court heard he had been a serial disruptor in Melbourne’s CBD for several months.
Fifty-year-old Antwany Arnold, of Richmond, appeared in court on Tuesday night charged with five offences, including throwing a missile and behaving in a riotous manner.
Arnold was allegedly part of a group of around 20 people who went to Hardware Lane restaurant Miznon on July 4, splintering off from a larger group that had been marching in protest against police presence at the weekly pro-Palestine demonstrations in the city.
Arnold applied for bail in relation to the July 4 incident, but magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz refused.
“In my view, such behaviour just adds fuel to the fire for further racist behaviour in the community ... potentially escalating into significant harm to members of the community,” Mykytowycz said.
“So it is relatively serious offending.”
The group yelled and threw chairs outside Miznon on Friday night.Credit: Alex Zucco
She also revoked his bail in relation to a previous incident, effectively remanding him in custody. He will face court again on July 18.
The prosecution told the court that Arnold was among the protesters that chanted through their megaphones, and began interfering with the food of Miznon diners. They said he “had a verbal confrontation with a diner and hurled a chair in her direction”.
At the time, Arnold was on bail for an incident on April 14, at the corner of Swanston and Bourke Street. Here he allegedly spat in the face of a person who tried to get him to turn down his speaker blasting pro-Palestinian messages. Arnold also allegedly made threats to kill a passerby before police arrested him.
One of the conditions of the bail was that he was not to attend Melbourne CBD, a condition he allegedly breached on June 29, July 4 and July 6.
The prosecution said that when they spoke to Arnold on Tuesday, he told them he was allowed to breach his bail to attend protests.
In a statement read out in court, police contended Arnold “poses danger to the safety and welfare of others” and that “the applicant has told police he will continue to breach his conditions that limit his attendance in the CBD”.
Arnold’s defence lawyer sought amended conditions to bail, which she said would “ameliorate further risk” that he would offend again and eliminate the need for bail to be revoked.
The magistrate told Arnold that the prosecution’s case against him was that “you are antagonist for racial abuse and violent behaviour in the community”.
She had to weigh up whether, if remanded in custody, he would spend more time behind bars than he would if sentenced for the charges he is accused of.
“To be frank, Mr Arnold, I simply don’t know what the sentence will be.”
She said while Arnold had the right to protest, “Implicit in that right is peaceful protest ... not this level of violence”.
“I simply cannot impose additional conditions of bail that can reduce that risk to an acceptable level,” she said.
A 48-year-old Footscray woman and a 28-year-old Essendon woman also faced court earlier on Tuesday charged with assault, affray, riotous behaviour and criminal damage relating to the incident on Hardware Lane.
The two women were bailed and ordered to reappear before the court on September 25.
Police said detectives from the Melbourne crime investigation unit raided three properties in Essendon, Footscray and Richmond on Tuesday morning, arresting one person at each of the addresses.
“It’s alleged a group of about 20 protesters walked to a restaurant on Hardware Lane at about 8.15pm where members of the public were enjoying their evening,” police said in a statement.
“It’s alleged several people in the group were involved in an affray where chairs were thrown. Damage was caused to the glass door of the restaurant during the incident.”
Jemima Demanuele, who was filmed sticking up her middle finger at people at the restaurant but has not been charged, has been stood down from her job at St Vincent’s Hospital as it investigates her conduct.
“St Vincent’s is aware of social media content connecting a staff member with a protest that took place at a Melbourne CBD restaurant on Friday night,” the hospital said in a statement late on Tuesday.
“The hospital has stood down a staff member today pending a full and comprehensive investigation into their alleged conduct.
“St Vincent’s is a health organisation founded on love and compassion.
“All patients – whatever their backgrounds and beliefs – are welcome and safe in our services, and we have zero tolerance for any behaviour that interferes with people’s right to feel safe while going about their lives.”
The group broke off from a larger anti-police demonstration in the CBD and arrived at Miznon just after 8pm, yelling and chanting anti-IDF slogans. They also allegedly threw food and damaged windows.
The restaurant had in previous days been identified on social media as a target by activists over the links of co-owner Shahar Segal to a controversial Israeli and US-linked charity, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The foundation has faced criticism for its role in Gaza food distribution sites where dozens of hungry Palestinians have been shot and killed as they scrambled for food. Segal has reportedly stood aside from his volunteer position with GHF in recent days.
This masthead revealed on Monday that dozens of officers were assigned to Friday’s anti-police demonstration in the CBD, which was promoted online by various left-wing and pro-Palestinian activist groups.
At a Friday afternoon tactical briefing, a decision was taken for police to not have a physical presence at the protest, to avoid inflaming the group.
Instead, officers are understood to have waited on buses parked in surrounding streets when the demonstration began shortly after 5.30pm. This meant police were unaware when, some time before 8.15pm, some of the group started walking towards Miznon.
Three people have been charged after a group descended on an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne on Friday.Credit: Alex Zucco
‘Our greatest joy is to feed people from every background’
The restaurant issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon, saying the incident had had a profound impact on the venue and its staff.
“We are a restaurant, a place of hospitality, of warmth and welcome. Our greatest joy is to feed people from every background and viewpoint and to see the joy on people’s faces as they enjoy our food and each other’s company,” the statement said. “That is our purpose and our objective.
“All we wish to do moving forward, is to keep feeding anyone who comes through our doors with love, attention and care while supplying a safe working space for our employees.”
The statement said the restaurant wanted to thank supporters and well-wishers.
When this masthead visited Miznon on Tuesday the open kitchen was bustling with lunchtime orders of pita bread and cauliflower. The only evidence of the previous week’s incident was a cracked front window.
One well-meaning patron brought in flowers; another told staff he was “happy the restaurant was still operating as normal” and that he had “especially” come in to dine.
Across the road, a worker from a neighbouring business, who wished to remain anonymous, said police had advised surrounding businesses to avoid speaking publicly as it might encourage demonstrators to return to Hardware Lane.
“We all just want to move on from it, that’s it,” he said.
Miznon restaurant on Tuesday.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
The worker said staff from nearby restaurants had stepped in to “protect” Miznon and its employees on the night.
“We had to help them out, just as neighbours, it was nothing political,” the worker said.
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