Perth man charged with racial harassment for alleged post backing Bondi attack

A man accused of posting an antisemitic social media message in support of the Bondi massacre will spend Christmas behind bars.Martin Thomas Glynn, 39, was arrested in the Perth suburb of Yangebup and charged after a concerned member of the public reported him to police.Officers said they raided Glynn’s home on Tuesday and seized several firearms, large quantities of ammunition and flags linked to banned terrorist organisations Hezbollah and Hamas.Glynn appeared before Fremantle magistrates court on Wednesday to face charges of alleged conduct intended to racially harass, carrying or possessing a prohibited weapon, and failing to properly store a firearm.He appeared without legal representation and was remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance in February.Glynn allegedly posted on social media in the hours following the 14 December terror attack at Bondi beach, where 15 people were killed after two gunmen allegedly opened fire on a crowd of Jewish faithful celebrating Hanukkah.“It is appalling that, in the wake of Bondi, anyone would say anything that supports, in any way the actions of a horrific, vile, criminal terrorist act,” Western Australia’s police minister, Reece Whitby, told reporters on Wednesday.“Words are dangerous. Words have potential to lead to catastrophic outcomes ... anyone that says anything remotely intimidatory, suggestive of violence needs to be acted on very quickly.”The state’s acting premier, Rita Saffioti, and its police chief, Col Blanch, have commended the member of the public who spoke to police after coming across the alleged post online which led to Glynn’s arrest.“The report from the member of the public was critical and demonstrates just how important it is that the community in Western Australia is kept safe, but also the community in Western Australia engage in this process,” Whitby said.Police said Glynn had a gun licence for hunting, and all but one of his firearms were registered, but Blanch has instructed his officers to initiate a process to cancel Glynn’s permit.The accused is being investigated by officers linked to Operation Dalewood, which was launched by WA police in response to the Bondi attack.He was not known to WA, NSW or federal authorities before his arrest, and there is no evidence to suggest any attacks are being planned, Blanch said.“We don’t think there is an ongoing threat. We don’t believe there to be a network involved. We think this is an individual who has made these comments online,” he said.Whitby reiterated WA’s tough penalties for hate-related crimes, including up to five years imprisonment for displaying Nazi symbols or performing Nazi salutes and up to 14 years for conduct intended to incite racial hatred.