Three people charged with assault after allegedly storming Israeli restaurant

Three people who allegedly stormed an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne on Friday night have been charged with assault, affray, riotous behaviour and criminal damage after a scuffle broke out, chairs were thrown and a window broken.

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.

Three people have been charged after a group descended on an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne on Friday.Credit: Alex Zucco

A 50-year-old Richmond man is due to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday afternoon, while a 48-year-old Footscray woman and a 28-year-old Essendon woman faced court earlier on Tuesday and were bailed.

The two women were ordered to reappear before the court on September 25.

All three have been charged with assault, affray, riotous behaviour and criminal damage.

“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.

The group yelled and threw chairs outside Miznon on Friday night.Credit: Alex Zucco

“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.”

The group broke off from a larger anti-police protest in the CBD and descended on Miznon just after 8pm, yelling and allegedly throwing food and damaging windows. The group asked patrons why they were giving money to a restaurant whose co-owner has links to a controversial Israeli aid agency in the Gaza Strip.

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