Counter-terrorism investigations are searching for ‘at least’ three suspects over the arson attack on the Melbourne Synagogue. A specialist taskforce has been established to investigate antisemitism in Australia, as Victoria considers following the lead of New South Wales in banning protests outside places on worship.
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00:00This decision by the Victoria Police, AFP and ASIO joint counter-terrorism team will
00:09unlock a suite of powers and capabilities.
00:13We've heard from Victoria's Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.
00:16He says the designation as a likely terrorist act means the officers will now be granted
00:23powers that are increased when it comes to detention and search operations.
00:29And he says that they've made really significant progress in this investigation of the fire
00:34bombing of the Adas Israel Synagogue here at Ripon Lee behind me, which is about seven
00:39kilometres southeast of Melbourne CBD in the early hours of Friday morning.
00:45He says that they are using a whole range of immense resources to be able to find whoever
00:52is responsible and bring them to justice.
00:55And he says that they are focusing their investigations on three suspects.
01:00However, he won't go into details of the investigation because he does not want to compromise it.
01:06There was a bullet that was found here, but that has since been discounted as part of
01:09this attack because he says it was very old and found quite some time before this arson
01:16attack.
01:17In the meantime, we know that Jacinta Allen, the Premier, is looking at new powers to issue
01:24so-called exclusion zones outside places of worship.
01:28That would ban protesters and that would be very similar to the exclusion zones that currently
01:33exist for abortion clinics here in Victoria.
01:37She says she's doing all that she can to make sure those changes happen as soon as possible.
01:43And we've also heard from the federal government.
01:46Now there is a new federal task force called Operation Avelite, and that will bring together
01:52a whole range of AFP officers, experienced operatives in counter-terrorism.
01:59And also ASIO will provide advice as well.
02:02We've heard from the Chief of ASIO saying that the threat level for Australia still
02:08remains unprobable.
02:10There is no additional evidence to suggest that there is any ongoing threat or any similar
02:16people with similar capacities to this firebombing attack.
02:21This has come as a result of not just this attack on the synagogue here behind me, but
02:26also on that of MP Josh Burns in Melbourne's St Kilda area, as well as several cars that
02:34have been set alight in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
02:38And the ASIO Chief says that at the moment, politically motivated violence is the most
02:44serious threat to the Australian community.
02:47He says that this attack here really embodies the ugly dynamics that we are seeing coming
02:54to the fore.
02:55And that's something that Shane Patton has also touched upon, saying that they're particularly
03:00concerned about the emboldened nature of this attack.
03:04We are likely to see the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, imminently here visiting the Jewish
03:10community and really paying his respects, lending his support to what has been an absolutely
03:17horrific situation for the community down here.