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He faces multiple charges, including wilful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerously operating a vehicle, and possession of dangerous drugs and utensils for their use.
By Shula Rosen
A man has been charged after a vehicle was driven into the gates of Brisbane Synagogue on Friday evening, damaging the property and prompting a police investigation into what authorities have described as a possible hate-related offense, CNN reported.
Police said a Toyota Hilux utility struck and knocked down the synagogue’s front gates at a property on Margaret Street in Brisbane shortly after 7 p.m. The driver left the scene but was arrested a short time later. No injuries were reported.
According to police, a 32-year-old man from Sunnybank is expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday.
He faces multiple charges, including wilful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerously operating a vehicle, and possession of dangerous drugs and utensils for their use. Police said investigations into the incident remain ongoing. The charges were reported by AAP.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the alleged attack had caused distress within the Jewish community and warranted a strong response from authorities.
In comments posted to social media, Crisafulli said he had spoken with Jewish leaders and police following the incident and sought to reassure the public that the matter was being treated seriously.
“I have spoken to Jewish leaders, as well as police, and I want to assure Queenslanders we are taking this seriously,” Crisafulli wrote.
He linked the incident to proposed legislative measures aimed at protecting places of worship, saying, “This is another signal as to why we have put strong laws before parliament to protect all people where they worship.”
“We are going through the process and I fully intend to have them passed during the next sitting of parliament,” he added.
The synagogue incident occurred as Queensland’s approach to hate speech legislation is under renewed examination.
Australia’s legislative processes were the focus of a recently released integrity watchdog report, according to AAP.
At the same time, a parliamentary inquiry reviewing proposed hate speech laws has heard concerns from community groups about the drafting process.
The Federation of Islamic Councils, the Islamic Council of Queensland, and the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland told the state parliamentary committee for justice, integrity and community safety that they were not consulted prior to the bill being introduced.
Under the proposed legislation, Queensland’s attorney-general would be granted authority to ban certain phrases, with public use punishable by up to two years in prison.
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