Brisbane Synagogue rammed by ute, Sunnybank man arrested
The gates of a synagogue in inner Brisbane were destroyed on Friday night, allegedly after being hit by a car.
Police said a Toyota Hilux vehicle was driven towards the Brisbane Synagogue on Margaret Street shortly after 7pm.
The car allegedly broke through the front doors before being driven north along a city street.
A short time later, the vehicle was stopped by police teams and the driver was detained. No one was injured and police said the driver was arrested without incident.
The 32-year-old Sunnybank man was charged with a number of offenses including committing serious libel or hate crime, dangerous driving and possession of dangerous drugs.
Officers suspected the driver was acting alone and said there was no ongoing threat to the community.
On Saturday, Premier David Crisafulli said he had spoken to police and leaders of Queensland’s Jewish community.
“This is another sign of why we are putting strong legislation before parliament to protect all people where they worship,” he said.
“We are going through the process and I fully intend for these to be passed in the next session of parliament.”
The driver is expected to appear in court on Saturday.
Police said the investigation was ongoing and appealed for anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident to come forward.
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