A Sydney man has been arrested and charged over a week’s long spree of graffiti attacks targeting minority groups including Indigenous Australians and LGBTIQA+ people.
It is alleged that 21-year-old Felix Kiera is behind over 50 graffiti incidents in recent weeks. Police officers on patrol in the inner city suburb of Petersham allegedly came across Kiera spray painting over the top of decals on a business’s windows that showed support for LGBTIQA+ communities and Indigenous Australians.
Police have alleged that he is responsible for a spate of recent graffiti attacks in the area that had been occurring since before the federal election. On Sunday morning he was charged with 21 counts of knowing displaying a Nazi symbol, 23 counts of property damage, eight graffiti offences and one count of trespassing.
Kierra did not apply for bail and has been remanded in custody.
Court documents allege that Kiera graffitied the Pride Square in Newtown in the early hours of 22nd April, shortly afterwards it is alleged he attacked political posters for the Greens senator Mehreen Faruqui and candidates for the Socialist Alliance.
His spree of spray-painting the swastika symbol then continued through the suburb of Erskenville including defacing the welcome sign on LGBTIQA+ venue The Imperial Hotel.
Over the next two weeks he is accused of defacing the front of The Courthouse Hotel in Newtown five times, and the Coopers Hotel on a single occasion.
