Arabic version: عمدة ملبورن يقول إن التماسك الاجتماعي يتصدع

According to ABC News, City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion that social cohesion in Melbourne had “frayed” since the war in Gaza began. Appearing before the inquiry on Monday, Reece said the rise in protests and community division had made the issue one of the most challenging he had faced as lord mayor.

Reece said Melbourne synagogues had been targeted with graffiti on a near-weekly basis since the start of the war. He described a city initiative designed to remove “menacing” and “threatening” graffiti within one hour of it being reported. The program had removed more than 3,000 hateful items, with between 800 and 1,000 of those described as antisemitic.

The commission heard that one incident in January 2026 involved the removal of 40 posters depicting one of the Bondi Beach shooters behind the word “Aussie”. Reece said people had told him they were afraid to come into the city, concerns he said were linked both to protest activity and to material displayed around Melbourne.

He said the City of Melbourne was working with other inner-city councils to expand the rapid-response model, but described it as resource intensive and expensive. Reece recommended the commission consider a funding program from the Commonwealth or another level of government to help councils that want to adopt similar policies.

The commission is in its ninth and final public hearing block, which is due to conclude in late August 2026. A spokesperson said it had heard from more than 200 witnesses and received over 20,000 submissions. NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was open to an extension of a couple of weeks if needed, while the commission has said Commissioner Virginia Bell SC is committed to completing the final report within the timeframe set by the Letters Patent.