An investigation is ongoing into the spate of racially targeted graffiti that hit the Outer East on 21 July, with the ripple effects continuing to be felt in the community.
The attacks targeted local businesses and places of worship, painting both hateful language and stencils of controversial figures on the buildings.
Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Centre had multiple buildings targeted and chief executive Adam Frogley said they were very disappointed at being targeted by the attacks.
“We have reported the incident and are hopeful the perpetrators will be apprehended,” he said.
A similar incident, with similar imagery, was reported at Ren Dao Vegetarian and near the Melbourne Holocaust Museum in Elsternwick on 7 July.
Asian Studies expert and researcher into far-right extremism from the University of Tasmania Dr Kaz Ross said she believes the incidents are linked and is very concerned to see the perpetrators have started targeting restaurants, the healing centre and a temple in the area.
“The dilemma you’ve got is they want publicity, they want people to think they’re big and scary, they want people to read their message, they think by getting coverage… they think that’s hilarious, they think that’s fantastic,” she said.
“They are a tiny, tiny minority in Australia, although they think that they represent the majority, they are, unfortunately, a growing minority, and they have a range of convictions for violence between them.
“Although they say they’re not a violent group and they don’t advocate for violence, they intend to remove people from Australia once in their fantasy, they win power in Australia, so inherently, they’re based on a violent belief system or ideology.”
Dr Ross believes the offenders are part of a far-right extremist group that has made its presence more public around Victoria in recent years, and are some of a few members who actually live in the Outer East.
Dr Ross said the big concern is that we have seen this before in Australia.
“About 20 years ago in Perth, there was a neo-Nazi group run by a guy called Jack Van Tongeren and they started off by graffitiing around Perth about ’Asians leave, Asians get out’, sticking up posters and things and they went on to then target Chinese restaurants and they were firebombing them,” she said.
“I know from my research that some of the young guys in this group very much revere the work of Jack Van Tongeren in Perth…it concerns me that this is how it started, it started with graffitiing and sticking up posters and it moved on to firebombing Chinese restaurants.
“I don’t have any evidence that they will go on to firebomb, but I am really concerned that they think it’s perfectly acceptable to do this kind of behaviour.”
The group runs ‘training’ sessions in the local region and have attempted to gain publicity when gathering around the state or by targeted activity at night.
Dr Ross said it’s important for the community to be aware and not to tolerate anti-social behaviour they don’t approve of.
“Watch out for racist graffiti and material, remove any stickers around the place, support your local community, support your local restaurants and centres and just let them know you like them being in your community and part of your community,” she said.
“They do prey on and groom young men… their aim is to find young men that are a bit isolated, they befriend those guys and then get them to come along to training.
“Basically, this group functions like a cult and one of the techniques that cults use is to isolate the members from their families and friends…then when they look around a few years down the track, they’re stuck in a Nazi community, they’ve lost contact with their family and their other friends, they don’t have proper educations and they don’t have job histories.”
Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au.
