Australia’s first far-left terrorism investigation and the rise of political violence
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
I'm Daniel James, and you're listening to 7 AM. In the early hours of July 5 last year, a group of masked people allegedly broke into a defence manufacturer in Melbourne's Northeast. Three cars were set alight. The building was vandalized and later a video message appeared online with a masked man claiming responsibility and warning workers involved in the weapon supply chain that they were being watched.
The AFP, together with our partners, will not tolerate acts of terror motivated by extremist ideologies, aiming to cause fear and anguish in our community.
Walid Ali has a PhD in global terrorism and says the message left behind is crucial to understanding what happened and what might happen next. Today, Walid Ali on what makes political violence terrorism and whether this attack is a sign of something much bigger taking hold. It's Monday. August ten. Wally, can you describe this attack on Love at technologies in the early hours of July last year? What happened?
Well, we want to be careful here because uh these are allegations and we could end up before courts. Sorry, when I say we, not you and me. Um at least I hope not.
No, no, no, that's um that's a totally different story.
That is a very different story and not for this podcast. Um no, so we're talking July five last year, about four in the morning, I think three fifty-five. And a allegedly what happens is a a five person group, they break into an organization called Love It Technologies, which is a defense manufacturer in Victoria. So they cut into the property, they set fire to three cars and then they vandalise the the building. So they spray graffiti on the building and then they leave.
Police are on the hunt for five masked offenders after a targeted arson attack at a business in Melbourne's Northeast. CCTV captain group said.
I think the reporting suggests they go home on their e-bikes, um, which I think is an interesting touch. So Melbourne. So yeah, indeed. So that's the event. Um, then there is the aftermath of the event, which has a group of people claiming responsibility for the attack. That is published online by a pro Palestinian group called Unity of Fields.
This is an anonymous communique by the cell that torched three cars ad lover technologies on the mall.
In that video they explain why they did all this.
Let there be no illusions as to what this was. This was not an accident nor thoughtless vandalism.
That's just the information that we have in front of us at this particular point.
Can you tell me? More about that video and what it revealed about what the group was trying to achieve.
Yeah, so they c they explain why they wanted to attack Loved Industries. In doing this, they say that Lovett Industries or Lovett Technologies are, because they're a defense manufacturer, they make weapons. Now, they regard them as a bottleneck in the Australian supply chain for the manufacturing of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet components. They say that this has been used in a whole range of military oppressions, so the service of colonialism. the idea of American imperialism, and specifically in this case, the arming of Israel. And so their argument is that this company or this organization is contributing to what they call the accelerated genocide of against the Palestinian people.
Every worker in this supply chain is complicit. You have had years to contemplate the consequences of your actions. We will decide your fate, as you have decided the fate of millions.
The thing about the way they frame this though is that they don't just say we're doing this because we want to stop the manufacturing. They say they are doing it because they also want to send a message that this is addressed to people who are complicit in the manufacturing of these weapons.
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 harming Israel or else.
And so If if we believe that the video is a fair representation of the motivations of of what happens, this attack is not merely instrumental.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–5:46
2
What happened during the July 5 2023 break‑in at Love It Technologies?
5:46–12:16
3
How did the masked group explain their motives in the online video?
12:16–14:30
4
Why do the perpetrators view the defence manufacturer as part of a ‘genocide’ against Palestinians?
14:30–17:52
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from 7am
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