A man has been charged with one count of theft, one count of criminal damage and two counts of assault after an incident at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne yesterday.

Senior Constable Anthony Myers, who attended the scene and arrested the man, told The AJN that a group of three or four men had been walking to the tram stop or railway station when one of the men is believed to have taken a scooter from outside the Synagogue.

“We believe that a group from the Synagogue challenged him to get the scooter back, then they threw it over the fence,” Senior constable Myers told The AJN.

“There was a verbal dispute and one of the males went back to the Synagogue and he asaulted one of the people there.”

The man, who was under the influence of alcohol, was held until after midnight and was then released on bail to appear in court on January 19 next year.

Senior constable Myers praised the rabbis and other at Adass for how they handled the situation.

“They were very calm and dealt with him very well.”

The video below, which hasn’t previously been released, is from when the man who allegedly assaulted the Jewish men was handed over to police.

Jewish Community Council of Victoria president Jennifer Huppert said that it is an ongoing police matter, but she understands that the incident was criminally motivated.

“We deplore all forms of violence,” Huppert said.

“Despite the fact that we understand it was criminally motivated, it doesn’t belittle the fact that anti-Semitic slurs were used and that is a concern.”

In the event of an emergency call Police 000 then CSG on 1300 000 274.

Terrifying scenes at Adass Synagogue in Melbourne today. In the event of an emergency call Police 000 then CSG on 1300 000 274. Posted by The Australian Jewish News on Thursday, November 26, 2015

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