Police probe alleged assault on 18-year-old man at Victorian Scouts camp who was wearing a yarmulke and carrying an Israeli flag.
Victorian police are investigating a suspected antisemitic assault on an 18-year-old man who was allegedly punched in the face at a Scouts camp while wearing a yarmulke and carrying an Israeli flag, Australia’s 9News reported on Monday.
Police said Joshua Levy was first verbally abused by an unknown man while walking at Lardner Park in West Gippsland about 2 p.m. on Saturday, then later assaulted by the same person in a crowd of about 300 people at around 9 p.m. Levy suffered bruising around his nose and swelling to his cheek and reported the incident to police the following day with his father, 9News said.
Levy told the national news service on the Nine Network in Australia that he initially thought the tap on his shoulder was from a friend before he “instantly felt hazy” after being struck three times. “Hurting people based on their opinions is not OK,” he said. Police said they believe the assault was a targeted attack and warned that antisemitic, racist or hate-based behavior “will not be tolerated.”