Ball bearings, a sling shot, graffiti and glue are being used in an anti-hipster war in Melbourne's inner west.
The 8-Bit burger and shakes restaurant in Droop Street, Footscray, is the latest business to endure an aggressive, vitriol-laced attack aimed at young and seemingly affluent newcomers.
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Vandals have targeted an upmarket burger restaurant in Footscray, smashing glass and scrawling offensive, anti-hipster slogans on the windows.
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Footscray burger restaurant vandalised
Vandals have targeted an upmarket burger restaurant in Footscray, smashing glass and scrawling offensive, anti-hipster slogans on the windows.
The latest attack, on New Year's Day around 5.30am, saw windows smashed and the words "F--k off hipster scum" scrawled on the door.
Co-owner Shayne McCallum said the attack was the second on one of his Footscray businesses.
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The first anti-hipster slogan was written on Up in Smoke, a barbecue restaurant in Hopkins Street, which he also co-owns.
His business is not alone. Littlefoot Bar around the corner in Barkly Street also suffered a series of attacks over a three-month period when it opened two years ago.
Stuart Lucca-Pope, who co-owns the bar with his wife Liana, said one of the attacks saw the bar-front plastered with A4 sheets with anti-gentrification slogans on them, claiming the business was run by profit-seeking hipsters who were pricing locals out of the rental market.
Another time the front door had its lock glued shut making it impossible to open.
"My wife was very, very hurt by it because, if they took the time to know us, they would know that's not what we are about," Mr Lucca-Pope said.
The attacks only stopped when they placed a letter on their window which explained they had lived in the area for eight years, were renters themselves and sent their child to a local school.
"I really have no idea who was doing it, but I think it was just a fear of change and, the thing is, we love Footscray's diversity and were just bringing more diversity to Footscray," he said.
"We are just locals who wanted to work in the community we live in and love.
"We experienced nothing but kindness, warmth and welcome from local traders and long-time residents and were approached many times as we were building Littlefoot by people who wanted to welcome and meet us.
"Which is probably also why it was such a shock to be attacked like this," he said.
Littlefoot bar in Barkly Street Footscray as it was two years ago, plastered with anti-hipster sentiment. Photo: Supplied
Mr McCallum said the 8-Bit attack was captured on CCTV and shows a man wearing a hoodie top and a baseball cap.
The second person, a woman, whose face is clearly shown is also in the footage. A copy of the footage is now with police, he said.
The film also shows how the pair attacked the windows, using a sling shot and ball bearings.
With the restaurant closed on January 1, Mr McCallum did not know about the attack until a friend tagged him with an Instagram picture of a hot rod car parked in front of the restaurant.
It was only when he looked closely at the background did he see the slogan. A local woman alerted him to the more serious window damage. All but two panels on the shop, 16 in all, were cracked and smashed.
"I thought it was a bit amusing because if anyone knows me they know I'm not a hipster at all," Mr McCallum said.
He said the tag of hipster had followed the business and was used frequently to describe it in food news stories, a term he rejects.
"I'm from Geelong and we are just chefs trying to make a living out of food," he said.
"Someone actually wrote on Facebook: 'these guys aren't hipsters they are nerds', which is a title I'm happier with," he said.
Mr McCallum said it was the fourth time the windows at the burger restaurant had been smashed, with one resulting in a break in and burglary.
He said Footscray was a changing area and some people were afraid of change.
"People do get a bit angry about it. People get a bit pissed off about it but it is a changing area," Mr McCallum said.
The restaurant was open for business on Monday.
Brunswick also suffers anti-hipster sentiment with this slogan above a Lygon Street business.
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