A 71-year-old grandmother from Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs has been charged by police following a six-month graffiti campaign that plastered pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans across her neighbourhood.
The Covert Neighbourhood Sting
Shona Barker, a retired acupuncturist and long-term resident of Rose Bay, is now confronting six counts of intentionally marking premises without consent. The charges stem from an investigation launched by frustrated locals who, after enduring near-weekly vandalism since mid-July, took matters into their own hands. They installed motion-activated cameras in a secret surveillance operation to catch the culprit.
"We decided to take matters into our own hands," one resident revealed. The community meticulously tracked patterns, predicting where and when the vandal might strike next. "We thought if we can identify her and maybe film her doing it, we can present that to the police," an anonymous local told broadcasters. The operation was a success, capturing clear footage of the alleged vandal in action.
"I Stand By My Words": Grandmother Breaks Silence
After her arrest, Ms Barker, a self-described devout Buddhist, spoke publicly for the first time. She admitted being profoundly affected by the conflict in Gaza but insisted she never meant to distress her community. "I don't regret the words I put out - I stand by them," she stated. "But I do regret upsetting people, especially in my community. I wasn't thinking of the locals when I wrote those things. I was thinking of the people in Palestine."
The graffiti, which appeared on fences, real estate signs, and construction hoardings, included phrases such as 'Israel = genocide', 'Gaza is a holocaust', and 'Israel get out of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria'. Barker described following events in Gaza "with great interest" and being "so upset by the sheer brutality of it".
Police Investigation and Wider Context
New South Wales Police confirmed officers attended Ms Barker's home last Tuesday following reports of repeated graffiti attacks near O'Sullivan Road. A police spokesperson said a formal investigation began on November 30. Barker was subsequently charged with four aggravated counts and two standard counts of marking premises without consent.
This arrest was made separately from Operation Shelter, the dedicated police antisemitism taskforce established in late 2023. The case occurs amidst a noted increase in anti-Semitic vandalism across Sydney's eastern suburbs, including fresh graffiti discovered at Bondi Beach this week.
Despite the legal storm, Barker remains unapologetic for her political stance. "I'm sorry people were hurt. But I won't apologise for caring about Gaza," she said, adding, "We can't let Gaza be the graveyard for international justice." She claims to have received full support from her family, who were aware of her actions prior to her arrest.
The incident has sparked mixed reactions online, with some criticising the alleged antisemitic nature of the messages and others praising the community's ingenuity in gathering evidence. The court will now determine what penalty, if any, the sprightly grandmother will face.
