Video shows underground anti-Israel group threatening violence against Lovitt Technologies

News.com.au

4 days ago

A disturbing video is circulating across social media that appears to threaten violence against Australians working at aerospace company Lovitt Technologies.
The unverified video shows a person speaking in a digitally altered voice and dressed completely in black.
The person calls the message 'an anonymous communique' from the 'cell' that torched and vandalised three cars on the Lovitt lot in Melbourne on July 5.
CCTV of the incident shows five hooded offenders entering the business just before 4am, setting fire to the cars.
In the video, the person says the vandalism was not 'an accident'.
'This is a clear and serious threat,' the person says.
'If you continue making weapons or components of any kind there will be consequences. Consider this a warning.'
The person then reveals anti-Israel, anti-American and anti-Australian sentiment underpins the group's actions.
'After 21 months of an accelerated genocide against the Palestinian people by the illegitimate Zionist entity, eight decades of American warmongering and imperialism, 2½ centuries of the most violent colonial oppression, ethnic cleansing and murder of Aboriginal peoples across so-called Australia, Lovitt Technologies has chosen its place at the intersection of these catastrophes,' the person says.
The group is targeting Lovitt because it supplies components to defence and aerospace companies Lockheed Martin, BAE and Boeing, the person says.
The person then threatens violence against the company's workers and suggests his group has been 'watching' Lovitt's employees and collecting personal information on them.
'Every worker in this supply chain is complicit,' the person says.
'You have had years to contemplate the consequences of your actions. We will decide your fate as you have decided the fate of millions.
'For the past few months, we have been closely watching you. We have your addresses. All the information we have about you will be distributed to our underground networks. Stop arming Israel or else.'
The person ends the video by saying 'every colony will burn'.
'Death to Israel. Death to Australia. Death to America. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' they say.
Victoria Police has confirmed it is investigating the July 5 attack and now the video.
'The matter is now being investigated by the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes personnel from Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman told NewsWire on Monday.
'Investigators are aware of a video which has been circulating where a group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
'This video is being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.
'Police have already released CCTV of five people they would like to speak to in relation to the incident. Each person was dressed in black hooded jumpers, backpacks and gloves.'
Police said there were as yet no links between the July 5 act of vandalism at Lovitt and other criminal acts that hit Melbourne over that weekend, including the arson attack on the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation synagogue.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the group's video and message resembled 'an al-Qaeda terror cell'.
'It doesn't matter that they think they're doing something just and righteous – Islamist terrorists and neo-Nazis think that too,' he told NewsWire.
'What matters is that we remain a country of laws and not allow bands of zealots to decide what is a legitimate target for violence and criminal acts.
'Today it is a business they oppose and tomorrow it will be individuals, politicians, journalists or religious institutions they deem impure.
'We expect this incident to be investigated and for those responsible to be met with the law.'