A 21-year-old man has been arrested and charged with more than 50 offences following an alleged hate-motivated vandalism spree across Sydney’s inner west targeting a queer venue and political campaign materials.
Felix Kiera was arrested about 12.20am on Sunday after officers from Inner West Police Area Command allegedly observed him spray-painting decals affiliated with specific members of the community along Crystal Street in Petersham.
He was taken to Newtown police station and later charged with 53 offences, including:
- Knowingly displaying by public act a Nazi symbol without excuse (21 counts)
- Destroying or damaging property (23 counts)
- Intentionally marking premises without prescribed consent (8 counts)
- Entering enclosed land without lawful excuse (1 count)
NSW Police said it would be alleged that Kiera damaged property and sprayed offensive messages across buildings and political posters between Tuesday, April 22, and the time of his arrest, with the incidents occurring in the Newtown and Erskineville areas.
Police confirmed to Gay Sydney News that the arrest is related to dozens of locations being allegedly defaced with homophobic slurs and Nazi-related symbols.
Among them was the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville, a well-known queer venue, where a swastika was painted on an exterior wall.
Luc Velez, a Sydney Mardi Gras board member and Pride in Protest activist who unsuccessfully ran as the Greens candidate for Sydney in the federal election, had one of his campaign posters defaced with a homophobic slur.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi also had one of her posters defaced.
Richie Haines, chief operating officer of Universal Hotels, which owns the Imperial, condemned the graffiti as “cowardly” at the time it occurred.
“There is absolutely no place in our society for such senseless hate and intolerance,” he said then.
Federal MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek also criticised it.
“It’s particularly concerning to see this graffiti on businesses and places that have made a point of being welcoming, safe spaces,” she said at the time.
Kiera was refused bail and was scheduled to appear before Parramatta Local Court on Sunday (May 18).
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: ben.grubb@gaysydneynews.com.au
