A man was moved on by police after he was spotted wearing a swastika outside the Bondi Royal Commission.
Officers attached to Operation Shelter were patrolling the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion proceedings in Sydney on Wednesday morning when they were alerted to a man outside loitering near the building wearing an offensive slogan.
His T-shirt had a swastika superimposed over the Israeli flag and emblazoned with the words ‘anti-Semitism, proud to be accused. Speak up!’
Inside, Jewish Australians, including children, were sharing horror stories of antisemitism during the third day of public hearings in the Royal Commission, which was sparked by the Bondi Beach terror attack which claimed 15 innocent lives on December 14 .
‘Police issued the 68-year-old man with a move-on direction, which he complied with,’ a police spokesperson told Daily Mail.
‘Inquiries are ongoing in respect of the alleged offensive conduct.’
No charges have yet been laid.
When confronted by journalists afterwards, the man claimed that he was an anti-Israel war protester and that his outfit choice was a ‘coincidence.’
A man wearing a swastika outside the Bondi Royal Commission was spoken to moved on by police
‘I have business in town and I wear this all the time,’ he said.
When told that the hate symbol had been banned in NSW, he replied, ‘Is this a swastika?
‘Social media is the only form of protest that I can do.
‘We’re talking about the genocide in Gaza and the six wars that Israel has performed around the world.
‘I can’t sit by and watch this happen.’
The man, who identified himself as Ian Minus of Killarney Heights, claimed that he had no idea that the Royal Commission was taking place inside.
‘Is there a Royal Commission?’ he asked.
‘I’m sorry, I’m just enjoying a cup of coffee in the streets of Sydney.
The man claimed that he had no idea that the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was taking place nearby
The man claimed that he had no idea that the Royal Commission was taking place inside
‘Why am I being assailed in such fashion?
‘What’s disrespectful is what’s happening in Gaza and Lebanon and overseas, the killing of innocent people and children.
‘What is it about group punishment that Zionists don’t understand or object to?’
The man added that he wears the shirt ‘all time’.
‘The police will be looking at my social media and seeing my photos that I’ve been wearing this for some time,’ he said.
The tense exchange ended with police moving him away.
‘I feel fear and alarm every time an Israeli flag is waved in the streets,’ he called out as he walked off.
‘I have been asked to move on on a public street, such is the state of protest in NSW.’
The incident prompted a response from the Royal Commission.
‘The royal commission is appalled that such an item of clothing was worn in the vicinity of our hearing venue,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Safety of witnesses is paramount to the royal commission. We want to reassure witnesses and those wishing to engage with the royal commission that safety protocols are in place.
‘The royal commission is determined to investigate anti-Semitism in Australia without fear or intimidation.’
The Australian Jewish Association said that the incident ‘proved everything the Australian Jewish community has been saying for the last few years’.
‘Australia has a major problem,’ it wrote online.
