June 10, Sydney (Reuters) – The U.S. consulate in Sydney was vandalized on Monday, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced the act. According to the local media, the graffiti seemed to be a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
At around three in the morning local time on Monday, a somebody armed with a small sledgehammer attacked and painted a building located in the northern suburbs of Australia’s largest metropolis.
Regarding the event, Albanese responded, “I would just say that people should have respectful political debate and discourse,” during a broadcast media conference from Canberra.
“Measures such as painting the U.S. Consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is of course a crime to damage property,” he stated.
According to authorities, there were nine broken windows at the consulate and graffiti on the building’s door.
A police spokeswoman called Reuters and said, “CCTV has been sourced that shows a person wearing a dark colored hoodie with their face obscured carrying what appears to be a small sledgehammer.”
Although the structure had sustained damage, a representative for the US consulate insisted that personnel and activities remained unharmed.
The spokesperson issued a statement saying, “Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police are investigating the incident.”
Inverted red triangles were sprayed on the front of the embassy in photos that were posted on the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper’s website. It stated that some pro-Palestinian activists utilize the sign.
According to the publication, pro-Palestine protestors vandalized the U.S. consulate in Melbourne in May after spray-painting the same structure in April.
Australia, which has always been a staunch supporter of Israel, has been criticizing the latter’s actions in Gaza, where one Australian relief worker was murdered by an Israeli strike earlier this year.
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and other Australian towns saw the emergence of protest camps last month, denouncing Israel’s attack in Gaza and accusing the government of not doing enough to advance peace.
