Man Arrested for Bondi Pogrom Support Had House Full of Guns

Australian police say they uncovered firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition and material related to explosives during a raid on the home of a Western Australian man accused of endorsing the Bondi Beach Pogrom on the first night of Chanuka.

Martin Glynn, 39, appeared in a Perth court on Wednesday after being arrested following a public tip-off. He has been charged with racial harassment, possession of a prohibited weapon and failing to properly store firearms. Glynn was denied bail and remanded in custody until a further court appearance on February 3.

Prosecutors told the court that Glynn posted comments on Instagram just hours after the December 14 attack in Sydney, in which 15 people were killed at a Chanuka event in what authorities have described as a targeted antisemitic shooting. In one post, Glynn allegedly expressed explicit support for the attackers.

A member of the public reported the post to police, triggering an investigation and a raid on Glynn’s home in Yangebup, a suburb south of Perth.

During the search, police allegedly found six rifles, approximately 4,000 rounds of ammunition, an illegal spring-loaded knife and several flags associated with Hamas and Hezbollah, both designated terrorist organizations under Australian law. Prosecutors said officers also seized handwritten notebooks containing antisemitic language and references to Nazi ideology.

The court heard that police additionally found what they described as a “shopping list” for bomb-making materials, along with images and open-source information related to explosives on Glynn’s phone. Bomb squad officers were later brought in to conduct a second search of the property.

Glynn, who represented himself in court, denied any intention to carry out violence. He said he was a “doomsday prepper” and claimed the alleged bomb-related items were fire-starting materials used for barbecues. He described his notebooks as a way to “get ideas off his chest” and said they were drafts for a future political movement.

Magistrate Benjamin Tyers said there was nothing illegal about expressing support for the Palestinian cause but drew a clear line at publicly endorsing the killing of civilians.

“What is not proper is posting online comments supporting a massacre of innocent people,” the magistrate said.

Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch said there had been no prior record of concern regarding Glynn but described the online posts as “abhorrent” and of serious concern. Authorities said they do not believe there is a wider network involved at this stage.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had been briefed on the case and reiterated that antisemitism and violent extremism have no place in Australia.

Glynn faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge.