Melbourne mayor urges funding for rapid graffiti clean-up amid rising antisemitism

During the final week of public hearings, Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Nick Reece highlighted a sharp increase in protest activity and antisemitic graffiti since the 2023 Gaza war, describing a noticeable fraying of social cohesion in the city. He detailed a rapid-response scheme that has eliminated more than 3,000 hateful postings, of which up to 1,000 were explicitly antisemitic, often within an hour of being reported. Reece expressed concern that residents feel unsafe entering the city due to these displays.

He called on the Royal Commission to explore funding mechanisms from the Commonwealth or other government levels to enable other councils to adopt similar resource-intensive programs. The commission, chaired by Commissioner Virginia Bell SC, is concluding its hearings with a report due before the first anniversary of the Bondi Beach terror attack. NSW Premier Chris Minns and Liberal MP Julian Leeser also weighed in on the commission’s timeline and scope.