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A Perth teenager was arrested outside a Gosnells mosque on Tuesday morning, after he caught the attention of police patrolling the area in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack.
The 18-year-old was allegedly wearing a black face covering and a necklace displaying a Nazi symbol when he was spotted by police near a mosque on Mills Road about 8.20am.
Operation Dalewood was launched by WA Police to stamp out extremist and racially motivated conduct in response to the Bondi Beach mass shooting.Credit: Getty Images/File photo
The Huntingdale man has since been charged with displaying a Nazi symbol and failing to obey an order given by an officer, and is due to appear in court next month.
It comes after another police incident at the mosque, where a mystery offender poured non-flammable motor oil across the main entrance of the building in October.
At the time, Islamic leaders condemned the incident as “reckless and targeted”.
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Operation Dalewood was launched by WA Police to stamp out extremist and racially motivated conduct across Western Australia in response to the Bondi Beach mass shooting, which targeted people attending a Jewish community event.
WA Police Minister Reece Whitby said the operation would ensure religious groups felt safe, with a focus on Hanukkah celebrations taking place this week.
“The other focus will be the saturation in terms of police security presence in an overt and covert manner at all places of worship, at schools, at community organisations right across Perth,” he said.
“This is a time of Hanukkah, this is a time when the Jewish people have a right to celebrate and practice their faith and culture.
“There is no such thing as minor antisemitic behaviour. We will have zero tolerance to any form of antisemitic behaviour whether its abuse, violence, threats, intimidation, vandalism, graffiti, or the display of insignia, police will take every action to bring offenders to account.”
The arrest follows rabbis across Perth arriving to their synagogues on Monday morning to find them patrolled by armed officers, many becoming emotional at the scene.
Many also had to cancel Hanukkah celebrations due to safety concerns.
Chabad of Western Australia Rabbi Shalom White said the WA Jewish community was in shock following the mass shooting tragedy.
“Many people say this isn’t the Australia which we know, and sadly for the Jewish people, over the last two years, this is the Australia which we know,” he said.
“When week after week, terrorist sympathisers have been able to walk the streets, when we get told we can’t go to the CBD at certain times because of our own safety, that is very indicative of the Australia that sadly we are experiencing.”
Anyone who witnesses extremist behaviour, or who is the victim of a hate crime, is urged to report the matter immediately to police on 131 444 or to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. In an emergency, call triple zero.
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