A Sydney teenager will face court on Thursday after allegedly making death threats to Israeli President Isaac Herzog ahead of his five-day visit to Australia beginning on Sunday.
The online threat towards Herzog, who Prime Minister Anthony Albanese invited to Australia on December 23 to grieve with the Jewish community after the Bondi massacre, was allegedly made on social media by Darcy Tinning last month. Tinning, 19, also allegedly made threats towards US President Donald Trump.
Tinning was charged with using a carriage service to make a death threat following a raid of his Newtown home on Wednesday. A mobile phone and drug paraphernalia was seized. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The investigation was led by the Australian Federal Police’s national security investigations team, established by Commissioner Krissy Barrett in October as part of measures to crack down on groups targeting the Jewish community.
Nationwide protests against Herzog, a central figure in the Israeli government leadership subject to an International Criminal Court indictment, are planned for Monday.
Rallies in Sydney’s northern CBD and eastern suburbs were restricted for another fortnight on Tuesday, as NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon raised public safety concerns ahead of Herzog’s visit, which is expected to encompass Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra before he leaves Australia at the end of the week.
The Sydney demonstration is planned to take place at Town Hall, and march to NSW Parliament. Both are among the places subject to the police restriction on moving demonstrations.
Lanyon has signalled police would facilitate a march from Hyde Park and travelling away from Macquarie Street, but warned against a demonstration “with so much animosity [that] could present a risk to community safety”.
It comes as a 22-year-old allegedly mimicked the actions of the Bondi massacre at the Campbell Parade pedestrian bridge on Saturday night, including the action of shooting firearms upon people near the bridge.
Zayne McMillan, who was accompanied at the bridge by another man, is alleged to have verbally abused bystanders after he was confronted over his actions.
Police charged McMillan in Coogee on Wednesday afternoon, charging the man with two counts of stalking and intimidating with the intent to fear and cause harm, and three counts of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place. He will appear in court on Thursday.
There are 10 antisemitic incidents under investigation by NSW Police over the past two weeks.
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Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
