On Thursday 28th March, Shayne Chester was raided by the NSW Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics Command for an innocuous Tweet, they somehow interpreted as a bomb threat. A heavy-handed police response, to the merest “suggestion” of a bomb by someone criticising Zionists online.
Compare this response, to the lacklustre one by police to an actual bomb threat (complete with bomb) made against Theo, a Palestine supporter, by Zionist David Wise.
It’s not just the motivations of the police that reek of political bias. The few mainstream media articles about this Zionist bomb threat have been consistently limp, compared to the coverage (and outrage) devoted to “antisemitism“.
A bomb and threatening note was placed on Theo’s vehicle by Zionist David Wise – police took over 2 months to respond. Not so for Shayne Chester
As Theo @Rustinyoureye (the bomb threat victim) told MWM
“When Muslims demand peace and freedom, they are publicly branded as terrorists, and when people like me show solidarity to those being murdered at unprecedented rates, we are called antisemites and criticised for being ‘divisive’.
“But today we have found out what happens when a Zionist makes a bomb: it’s called a ‘suspicious device’ or outright denied as a real threat, and they are allowed to go about their lives for two months and two days before the police arrest them, even though the police were told to investigate the person on the day of the bomb”.
Update to Theo’s situation
I remember when police and the courts took bomb threats seriously. It’s strange
how Tweeting has become a greater police priority than old mate “terrorism”
Contact with “Terror Police” inherently dangerous
Anti-terror Police, heavily armed and expecting to deal with a “terrorist” associated with explosives, pose an inherent danger to any subject of their interest. More so, for example, than a youth “acting suspiciously” accosted by regular police for “wearing a hoodie on a warm day“. That unfortunate young man, was shot dead in his own backyard.
One move by Shayne Chester deemed to be “suspicious” by anti-terror police armed with automatic weapons, could have resulted in tragedy. History tells us, no-one would have been found culpable.
Both Theo and Shayne know how the system is slanted in favour of a ruling class that puts US/Israeli interests first. Instead of backing down, as many people would for their own safety and comfort, these two chose to defend their rights (and ours) with determination and courage.
As this raid by about 20 of the Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics Police was spurred by a Twitter post, let us use that “dangerous” medium and their victim’s words to tell the story. 1
“Terror Tweeter’s” account
From – Shayne Chester‘s Tweets 7:37 AM · Apr 1, 2024
Being invaded by the NSW Counter Terrorism Police wasn’t in my plans for a peaceful Ramadan afternoon on Thursday last. It sounded like someone was trying to bash down the front door, so I opened it, and about 20 big men poured in by the front and back doors.” 1
They were all geared up and ran from room to room waving guns and shouting, “CLEAR!” “CLEAR!”
I was bailed up against a wall, and body searched. They made a big mess, turning everything upside down, but nothing was broken. I couldn’t see the faces of the dozen men standing over me asking me questions because my glasses went flying when they grappled with me, and I’m blind without them. But I got most of their names. It was a bit sad to see their boots trampling my prayer mat and the Quran on it where I had been about to pray. It is Ramadan.
Shayne Chester tweeted his horror at the Gaza Genocide and the double standards in
play, when the bomb threat against Theo was treated less seriously than “antisemitism”
At first, I was confused; I didn’t understand any of their questions. Then one of them let slip, that there’d been an accusation I had made a bomb threat. So of course I realised this was the Zionists at me again. I was starting to zone out, which happens when you’ve been fasting since before sunrise. One guy was shouting at me, but I just watched his mouth move. I have no idea what he said, and they kept shoving papers at me, “Read this. Read this”.
“Honey, I can’t read anything without my reading glasses”.
‘Terror Police’ unaware of the real bomb threat?
The only evidence they had was a tweet. I explained, that in that post, I was comparing the outrage expressed by Alex, who was suing two Imams for calling his people ‘vile rats’ and the lack of outrage for a man who’d spent weeks trying to get police to investigate a bomb left at his home because he feared for his family’s safety. I think that’s clear, isn’t it?
I was unable to see how anyone could make a bomb threat out of it. But I don’t think the police had heard about the bomb in Botany, to which I referred anyway. They just looked blank.
A visit by a couple of police officers would have cleared this matter up quickly with far less strain on the public purse 2
Unless of course, the intent was to intimidate and silence Shayne to serve and protect US/Israeli interests
They asked me to explain the comment below it, and again, I don’t think it’s difficult. The comment asks hypothetically what the police response would be if the situation were reversed. Well, Screaming Jesus, we found out the hard way, didn’t we?
Molehill, meet mountain
Police asked if I had a grudge against Ryvchin. Alex is a small person, a very limited man, who doesn’t interest me much. He’s the talking head for the Jewish “Charity” ECAJ that scooped up $52.5 million of your money without having to account for it, so he appears in my posts sometimes. (The Muslim community, which is 10x the size, received $25 million with stipulations.) He was caught lying to the SMH when they ran the WhatsApp chat expose, and every word that’s fallen from his lily-lipped bazoo since has been a lie. Who could be interested in him? He’s just another whiny Zionist idiot cashing in on anti-Semitism big time. 3
Aussie Bin Laden
The cops asked about the politics of the situation, but you have to remember that the conversations we have here are considered radical and subversive in the mainstream, so I chose not to go there. The cop’s tone changed; it was hard to tell if they were embarrassed, disappointed, or bored. They’d come for an Aussie Bin Laden and found an old Muslim man with a paint brush who couldn’t terrorise a duck. I could barely bother a beetle. But they had a jolly good go at terrorising me.
They had a search-and-seize order and took my laptop, PC, and mobile. I have a disability which makes walking difficult, so I rely on my connection to the web to order food and supplies sometimes. I didn’t even know what time it was to do my five-time-a-day prayers. They did their forensic examination and kept the devices until today. In a way, I’m glad for the forensic examination so they can see I have nothing to hide; I don’t break the laws of man or God. (He said, pushing aside a pile of speeding and red light tickets.)
“Be careful what you write on Twitter.”
The last words Detective Chatfield said as he left were, “Be careful what you write on Twitter.” And that’s what all this was about. There was no charge sheet and no arrest. They made such a kerfuffle, shouting and police swarming all over my building that all my neighbours now think I am a terrorist. But I live in a Koori community that understands well the mechanics of living in an oppressive colonialist culture.
Now I should make some points. Constantly wasting police resources for frivolous and malicious claims (this is the second) is an offence. These people need to be issued a cease-and-desist order. The stalking and harassment of me is getting old. I’m finding it hard to believe that 12 top cops thought that tweet was deserving of a full-on invasion of my home. I do, however, find it easier to believe that some person in a position of power gave that order on behalf of the Zionists to intimidate me into silence.
We know of the involvement of 18 NSW MPs in the Lawyers for Israel group. This is an abuse of power. I guess it will take questions in parliament again, @SenatorThorpe as with Theo in the Botany case, to know the name of who ordered the raid. Or the name of my serial complainant. (Link to – How Aussie Jewish barristers banded together after Hamas attacks)
We need a Lawyers for Australia group. But everyone is afraid to open their mouth. Weaponizing the police to terrorise citizens is an abuse of that person’s power. They need to be disciplined. And cops should stop allowing themselves to be used. *The raid was ordered on the basis of a tweet for which the police apparently had no knowledge of its meaning or context.* This is not East Berlin with such Stasi behaviour and the rise and fall of these far-right fundamentalists should be a concern for all Australians. @DavidShoebridge
Raid was politicised intimidation
Obviously, I’m in way over my head and need some legal and media protection. Where are our Bob Woodwards, Carl Bernsteins, John Pilgers, & Julian Assanges?
I imagine there’s some case for reparation given this assault on me, using such flimsy evidence. There are many precedents of Muslims being framed, stitched up, and wrongfully imprisoned: Mohamed Kamer Nizamdeen, Dr. Mohamed Haneef, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, et al., so I’m not ruling anything out.
There’s an A story and a B story to the Gaza Genocide; the ‘A’ side concerns 1 million kids being starved to death because someone wants to live in their homes, and the flip side is about rescuing our country from these narcissistic, homicidal, reactionary zealots.
Vicious dangerous Zionists hiding behind anonymity, sniping like the Gaza child killers. Will I allow this to scare me off? Quit posting and live a nice safe life? Two words for the Zionists. Buckle up. Muslims bow to no human. We bow to God.
– Shayne Chester of Waterloo
Related
Petrol bomb tweet from Sydney pro-Palestinian artist sparks police investigation
Notes
1 Some mild editing, subheadings and hyperlinks added for clarity.
2 It was in fact, the second time police had acted over Shayne’s Twitter comments. The first time was just a call from a Redfern cop who said, “OK Shayne, that’s fine, no worries.” Instead of the raid, a phone call would have sufficed.
3 Alex Ryvchin “served as a spokesman (sic) for the Zionist Federation UK, and was awarded a prestigious Israel Research Fellowship to work as a research fellow and staff writer at a Jerusalem-based think-tank. After 5 years abroad, in 2013 he returned to Australia and joined the Executive Council of Australian Jewry as Director of Public Affairs. He was promoted to co-Chief Executive Officer in February 2018 becoming one of the youngest leaders in the Jewish diaspora. He is a member of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps.” – From LinkedIn
