‘F**k the Jews’: Sydney man jailed over anti-Semitic rant
A Sydney man who impersonated the Bondi terrorists by standing on a waterfront footbridge and pretended to hold a gun before yelling “fuck the Jews” and “I’m a Koori, I can do what I want” at passersby has been jailed.
Zayne McMillan, 22, faces a trial in Sydney on Tuesday, where he was jailed for a series of incidents on January 31 in which he made profanity-laden, anti-Semitic remarks to horrified locals.
The man, who was beamed into court via video link from prison on Tuesday, pleaded guilty to three counts of offensive behavior in public and two counts of intimidation.
The court heard he posed on the footbridge where 15 people were killed just seven weeks ago, pretended to hold a gun and then became involved in a series of clashes at Bondi and Bondi Junctions, during which he shouted “fuck the Jews”.
McMillan was using a cocktail of alcohol, ketamine, MDMA and magic mushrooms at the time of the offenses, the court was told on Tuesday.
According to agreed facts tendered to the court, McMillan and another man were standing on the footbridge at Bondi Beach where the 22-year-old bricklayer posed for photographs pretending to hold a long-armed firearm.
The incident occurred on January 31, just a month after the terrorist attack that killed 15 people.
According to court documents, McMillan posed as if he was holding a gun and shouted “Fuck the Jews,” “I’m a Koori, I can do what I want” and “I’m Aboriginal, this is my land.”
He also said to a man who was with his family at the time: “What are you looking at?”
The people told McMillan to leave, and he responded: “I’m a Koori. This is my land. Fuck the Jews.”
He also told the man, according to court documents: “I’m going to fuck you. This is my kin land.”
The man’s family was horrified, and he himself feared for the safety of his daughter, who begged him to leave.
The police were neutralized but McMillan jumped a fence to escape, the court heard on Tuesday.
About 20 minutes later, McMillan was riding a rented bike on Bondi Road when he came up behind a man and his son heading to the Synagogue.
The man was wearing a black Borsalino hat and the boy was wearing a kippa and was clearly Jewish, according to court documents.
The man heard someone shout “fucking Jews” before turning to see McMillan and his friend on the bike.
Shortly afterwards, McMillan was filmed by a member of the public shouting “Fuck the Jews” after falling off his bike in Oxford Street at Bondi Junction.
Four days later, McMillan was arrested after officers spotted him at Coogee Beach.
He was sentenced Tuesday by Judge Michael Barko to 12 months in prison, with a non-parole period of nine months.
He will be eligible for release in November.
More to come
