'Kick in the guts of every Holocaust survivor': Vandals fed up with Daniel Andrews' lockdown paint anti-Semitic message on a Melbourne street
- Shock over Anti-Semitic graffiti targeting Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews
- Residents found the graffiti spray painted on a road in Melbourne's Donvale
- Dr Dvir Abramovich called the attack 'an insult to those murdered by Nazis'
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been targeted with anti-Semitic graffiti over his strict coronavirus lockdown laws.
Shocked residents discovered the graffiti spray-painted on a road in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Donvale on Tuesday morning.
'Stop Dan Andrews,' the graffiti read, but the 'a' had been replaced with a Star of David and a Swastika had replaced the final 's'.
The vile message comes just days after Melbourne's lockdown was extended for a further two weeks in a bid to slow the spread of the deadly disease.
Shocked residents discovered the graffiti spray-painted on a road in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Donvale on Tuesday morning
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been targeted with anti-Semitic graffiti over his strict coronavirus lockdown laws
Australian Financial Review columnist James Thomson shared a picture of the graffiti on Twitter, he wrote: 'Disgusted to see this on a road in Donvale in Melbourne’s east this morning.
'Appreciate feelings are running high about the lockdown, but this vile garbage is plain wrong.'
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ABC journalist Dan Ziffer said the graffiti is 'beyond stupid'.
'If people want to better understand fascism they’d do well to visit the Holocaust Centre in Elsternwick when it re-opens,' he wrote on Twitter.
'People living under the boot don’t get takeaway coffee and strolls in the park.'
Two friends enjoy each others company by the beach in the sun during COVID-19 in Melbourne, Australia
Locals enjoy the warmer spring Melbourne weather despite the wind during COVID-19 in Melbourne, Australia
There has also been images of Mr Andrews and chief health officer Brett Sutton depicted as Nazi officers circulating on social media.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, chairman of civil rights organisation the Anti-Defamation Commission, said using these evil symbols to attack Mr Andrews was an insult to the memory of victims murdered at the hands of the Nazis.
'It is also a kick in the guts of every Holocaust survivor. We trust that those who carried out this outrageous act are identified and are brought to justice.
'We call on all religious and political leaders to declare in one voice that such reprehensible conduct will never be tolerated in our nation.'
Melbourne's latest lockdown has seen extra jobloss with hundreds of businesses forced to close (Pictured: A Zara store in Melbourne)
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is excited about the jobs market bounceback being led by NSW. Pictured: coronavirus jobless queue in April outside Centrelink in Melbourne
Tensions have flared since Victoria was forced back into lockdown when cases spiked to record breaking figures.
But the rules have sparked anger from frustrated residents who have been banned from leaving their homes from 5am to 8pm each night.
From August 2 Melbourne was placed under level four restrictions, which came with the police enforceable curfew.
Melburnians have only been able to leave their homes between these hours for work, care-giving, medical reasons or on compassionate grounds.
A police checkpoint at Albury on the NSW-Victorian border on July 8. It was the first time in 100 years the border was shut. Australia is split between those who want the suppression strategy blaming border closures for economic hardship and those who want elimination
The rest of the state was placed under level three restrictions, which saw all cafes and restaurants close for dine-in service. The venues can offer takeaway and food delivery only.
There was more fury when Mr Andrews unveiled his long-awaited four-step roadmap on Sunday, revealing Melbourne will continue under strict curfew and lockdown until the end of September.
Moving between the stages of the roadmap relies on new infections dropping to five or fewer in one major step, and no new cases for two weeks for the final phase.
Mr Andrews has been slammed for having an 'unrealistic' target to end lockdown.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed the state's plan and argued the same standards would put Sydney under curfew.
Victoria reported 55 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths on Tuesday. Pictured: A delivery driver is seen on Bourke Street in Melbourne on Sunday
Pictured: Two Melburnians sit on the sand and enjoy the sun at St Kilda Beach on Sunday
'The plan that was outlined yesterday, I hope, is a worst-case scenario,' he said on Monday.
'Under the thresholds that have been set in that plan, Sydney would be under curfew now.'
But Mr Andrews dismissed the comparisons, noting NSW had not experienced the same level of community transmission as Victoria.
'That's not a point of pride, that's just a fact,' he said.
'I've seen this commentary that under our settings, they'd be in lockdown - no they wouldn't, because they've not had the community transmission that we've had.
'We are different.'
