Meet the Couple Who Decided to Stage an anti Jewish protest in Ballina – days after Bondi massacre
A protest outside a Jewish café on Ballina’s main street ended today only after Ballina News Daily confronted the couple behind it.
Bystanders told Ballina News Daily they were shocked to see the couple return just three days after the Bondi massacre.
“They’ve been targeting the Tel Aviv Yafo cafe for months – they’ve been back six or seven times parking outside or as close to it as possible with their hateful messages,” one nearby store member said.
“But to turn up again this week, when the community is in mourning, is just appallingly disrespectful.”
Council “powerless” to move them on
Ballina Shire Council has confirmed it had received repeated complaints about the vehicle.
Council staff said rangers were effectively powerless to act, as the vehicle was legally parked,with a valid disability permit, despite concerns it was being used to deliberately target a specific café because of its perceived ethnicity.
Several nearby business operators said the couple’s return today crossed a line.
“People are in shock,” one bystander said.
“To to turn up again this week, when the community is in mourning, is just appallingly disrespectful.”
Disabled parking space monopolised
The vehicle was again parked in one of River Street’s limited disabled parking spaces, a point of particular anger among shoppers and nearby traders.
Members of the public said the space had been monopolised for much of the day.
“That alone is offensive,” one local said.
“There are seniors in this town with serious mobility issues who need to do their Christmas shopping.
“Targeting a Jewish business right now makes it worse.”
Ballina News Daily confrontation ends protest
Ballina News Daily attended the scene today and directly approached the couple.
Within minutes of our arrival, the couple moved their vehicle and left the area, freeing up the disabled parking space they had occupied.
Allegations of online antisemitic threats
It has been alleged to Ballina News Daily that the same couple have also been responsible for threatening and antisemitic commentary on local community social media pages.
Those allegations have not been tested, but have been raised with authorities.
Mayor appalled, matter escalated
Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said she was appalled by the behaviour and confirmed she would escalate the matter.
“This is not who we are as a community,” she said.
“There is absolutely no place for antisemitism in Ballina.”
The Mayor said she would be raising the incident directly with the NSW Police Commissioner, citing concerns about targeted intimidation and the misuse of public space at a time of heightened community distress.
“Freedom of expression does not extend to intimidation, harassment or hate,” Cr Cadwallader said.
what a total clown in a public place doesn’t want to be filmed!
Thank you Ballina News Daily for intervening & defusing a potentially dangerous situation.
We don’t need idiots like that.
Thank you for bringing attention to these hate preachers
Thank you Ballina News! Gareth Smith has been harassing Israeli as well as Australian Jewish owned businesses for many years. He is a vile racist, and relentless. I guess he’s given up in our Shire because the police move him on very often, and the RSL gave him an ultimatum when he parked his ridiculous car outside the Jewish Community’s October 7th commemoration this year.
Hope someone can put up where they live “IF”. they come back
Thank you Ballina News for having the decency to call out this moron. He is an attention seeking twat that clearly has no respect for the loss of life and the chaos and cold blooded terror that happened in Bondi. We are awash with disinformation about Israel and credulous laundering of and support for Hamas’ propaganda (even while Hamas murders its own people who dissent from it).
Thank you Ballina News Daily and the good people of northern Rivers. This “Gareth” and his partner are displaying pure Evil in my opinion. It should be confronted and not tolerated.
Well done Ballina News Daily for confronting this hateful person who is obviously seeking to cause harm to our Jewish community. There is no place for this appalling behaviour in Ballina or anywhere else in Australia.
Thank you, Ballina News Daily. Well done Mr. Bruem. Why is there not a law to prevent people like this harassing innocent citizens who are simply going about their business peacefully. These people demonstrating outside this restaurant like this are disgusting and beneath contempt.
What a hateful obsessed twat
Which messages on his car are racist?
I can’t see anything that’s racist. He’s a pro-Palestinian peace activist.
Lucky we live in a thriving democracy with freedom of speech and people are allowed to have their political views (even if they’re opposed to mainstream views).
Love Australia !
This is a total beat up of a story which is full of false allegations. We regularly park at the disabled parking space because we are disabled pensioners and have regular audiologist appointments regarding new hearing aids at Specsavers which is just across the road. We do not park to intimidate Jewish businesses. We have been driving a painted pro-Palestinian car for about 10 years so this has nothing to do with the terrible tragedies in Bondi. It does have to do with Israel’s appalling slaughter of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank where refugees in tents are bombed and missile struck with the most modern weapons supplied by the US. The amount of ordnance dropped on Gaza has already equalled all the bombs on both sides in WWII and the Vietnam War. We send our heartfelt condolences to all our Jewish brothers and sisters.
The same moron also fronts up in places as well
Just quietly mate with the loud car, that’s attracting attention to what you’re passionate about sure, but it’s now unpeaceful. If you’re a struggling pensioner maybe use your time and spare coins on volunteering instead of car paint or maybe just don’t be a tool and deliberately park your slogan outside that particular business . You and the missus got your 5 minutes of fame buddy move on.
Now this vehicle will be dealt with under new State laws about to be enacted. There is no need for this extremist garbage.