Melbourne's social cohesion 'fraying', antisemitism inquiry hears
There has been a "fraying" of social cohesion in Melbourne since the start of the war in Gaza, the city's lord mayor has told the antisemitism royal commission.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece of Melbourne testified before the antisemitism royal commission about the city's ongoing efforts to combat hate speech. Reece highlighted the city's largest Jewish population and the near-weekly graffiti incidents against synagogues since the war in Gaza began. His rapid response initiative successfully removed over 3,000 hateful messages, with 800-1,000 of those specifically antisemitic.
Reece expressed concern over citizens being afraid to enter the city due to protest activity and the presence of hateful messaging. He suggested the commission consider funding for local governments to implement such rapid response programs. Meanwhile, NSW Premier Chris Minns expressed satisfaction with the commission's progress so far, but supported extending the inquiry if necessary to ensure the recommendations are well-funded.
The royal commission aims to complete its final report before the first anniversary of the Bondi Beach terror attack.
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