Two men were arrested and charged on Wednesday for a spate of antisemitic graffiti in three Perth areas, the Western Australia Police Force announced.
The 27-year-old men allegedly spray-painted antisemitic symbols and words on walls, bus stops, and signs on Friday night in the Nedlands, Dianella, and Dalkeith areas. Police previously specified that a residence's wall, For Sale sign, and a traffic sign were vandalized in Dalkeith.
According to the Australian Jewish Association, the graffiti included swastikas and the slogan "f**k Jews."
Both were set to appear Wednesday before the Perth Magistrates Court, with the Beechboro man facing charges of four counts and the Dianella man facing five counts of Criminal Damage in Circumstances of Racial Aggravation.
“The Western Australia Police Force will not allow vile acts of hatred and racism to go unchecked,” a WA Police spokesperson said in a statement. “This swift outcome should send a clear message to anyone engaging in this kind of behavior. We will find you and you will be put before the courts to face the consequences of your actions."
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook on Saturday condemned the graffiti across Perth, calling it "absolutely vile" and promised to maintain a "inclusive, peaceful society" in the state.
"Western Australia rejects this type of bigotry and hate speech," Cook said on Facebook. "I stand with Western Australia’s Jewish community and offer my full support to all those affected by these cowardly actions."
Curtin MP Kate Chaney also condemned the antisemitic graffiti in her constituency on Saturday, saying that she was shocked by the vandalism in Dalkeith.
Chaney expressed that the behavior was not representative of the community, and assured that "people in my community believe everyone should be treated with respect."
"I'm proud to live in a cohesive and inclusive community -- this behavior does not represent our values and we will not be divided by this criminal act," Chaney said in a statement.
The WA police said that since December they had committed hundreds of dedicated vehicular and foot patrols in the vicinity of locations frequented by Jewish community members.
“We will continue to work with Jewish community leaders to ensure they feel our support," said the WA Police.
Antisemitic vandalism
The Perth graffiti coincided with a antisemitic vandalism across three Australian states over the weekend.
A man was arrested on Wednesday for vandalizing a Melbourne area home with antisemitic graffiti, and throwing a bacon packet and spitting at a passerby.
In New South Wales a man was arrested for vandalism in the Kingsford area on Friday, but the same Sydney suburb and Randwick saw antisemitic graffiti on Saturday.