An arsonist set fire to the door of a Melbourne synagogue and forced the congregation to flee on Friday, seven months after criminals destroyed a synagogue in the same Australian city with an accelerant-fueled blaze that left a worshipper injured.
A guy drenched the double front doors of the downtown East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and set it on fire, according to a Victoria Police news release.
Around 20 worshippers who were having a meal to commemorate the Jewish Sabbath were evacuated through a back door, and no one was harmed, according to police.
According to authorities, the fire was contained to the front doorway and extinguished by firemen. The front doors were damaged.
Police say the arsonist was seen traveling through a nearby park before entering the synagogue’s premises. After starting the fire, he escaped on foot, according to authorities. He has not been identified.
Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described the fire as a serious crime.
The department’s Counter Terrorism Security Investigation Unit are leading the investigation, police said in a news release Saturday, but the matter “has not been deemed a terrorism incident.”
A terrorism declaration opens the investigation to more resourcing and can result in charges that carry longer prison sentences.
The synagogue’s president, Danny Segal, called for the wider Australian community to stand with his congregation.
The unidentified man is described as in his mid-30s, with a beard and long hair. He was wearing a dark blue or black sweater, black pants and a black beanie. The CCTV photo shows him carrying a large black bag.
