Hooded Vandals Torch Cars at Arms Firm Before Fleeing on E-Bikes

Detectives have released CCTV footage of five hooded offenders who set cars alight and spray-painted graffiti in an attack on an Israel-linked weapons company in Melbourne’s north-east.

The footage shows hooded figures dressed in black, using red spray-paint to scrawl slogans on the cars and setting the vehicles on fire in the early hours of Saturday.

The group also vandalised a wall of the Greensborough business, Lovitt Technologies Australia.

One car was destroyed, while another two were “moderately” damaged, Victoria Police said.

Local detectives are working with specialists from the arson and explosives squad to investigate the incident, which occurred about 3.55am on Saturday when five people broke into the business, before the cars were vandalised.

Police are yet to find evidence linking the vandalism to an
attack on East Melbourne Synagogue
on Friday, and an incident later that night wherein 20 people stormed
Israeli restaurant Miznon
in Melbourne’s CBD.

Lovitt Technologies Australia, on Para Road in Greensborough, is a weapons company with links to Israel. It has previously been targeted by protesters opposing the Israeli military.

“Detectives are today releasing CCTV of five people they would like to speak to in relation to the incident,” Victoria Police said in a statement on Monday.

“While investigators continue to liaise with [counterterrorism] command to establish if there are any connections to the arson on the synagogue in East Melbourne and a public order incident on Hardware Lane, at this time, no links have been identified.

“There is absolutely no place at all in our society for antisemitic behaviour.”

Detectives believe the offenders fled the Greensborough business through a back fence. They were last seen riding e-bikes in a south-westerly direction along the Plenty River.

Counterterrorism detectives on Sunday charged
Sydney man Angelo Loras
over the alleged arson attack at the East Melbourne Synagogue on Friday, while police worked to determine whether to classify that incident as an act of terror.

In the hours after the Greensborough incident on Saturday, police would not confirm whether the incident was linked to antisemitism. However, they confirmed the business was previously the site of “pro-Palestinian activity”.

“We haven’t made a full connection, we’re just continuing to investigate,” Victoria Police commander Zorka Dunstan said.

“Just to be abundantly clear, we are taking all three incidents incredibly seriously. There’s no place in Australia for hatred or discrimination of any kind, and we condemn it.”

The Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance, a group tied to the storming of the Miznon restaurant, urged the public to “stop clutching their pearls” and instead focus on the conflict in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Allan government will assemble a new anti-hate taskforce as it scrambles to beef up efforts to address antisemitism in Victoria.

Premier Jacinta Allan visited East Melbourne Synagogue on Monday morning and announced a new anti-hate taskforce, which will meet this week for the first time.

Police urged anyone with more information about the Greensborough arson attack to come forward.

Our Breaking News Alert




will




notify you




of significant breaking news when it happens.




Get it here




.