SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday deplored the vandalizing of the US consulate in Sydney after an act of vandalism that local media said was probably a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
According to New South Wales police, at around 3 am on Monday, a person wielding a small sledgehammer and carrying some paint attacked the building located in the northern suburbs of Australia’s largest city.
“I would say that people should have respectful political debate and discourse,” Albanese said during his media briefing conducted at Canberra as reported by television.
Also, he remarked that “Measures like painting the US Consulate do not help advance the cause of those who have committed what is undoubtedly a criminal offence against property.”
Local police reported that nine windows were damaged while graffiti was sprayed over the door of the consulate.
A police spokesperson told Reuters through phone that, “CCTV has been sourced which shows an individual wearing a dark coloured hoodie with their face obscured and holding what appears to be a small sledge hammer.”
Photos displayed on The Sydney Morning Herald website showed red inverted triangles painted on its front. It added that this sign is used by some pro-Palestinian activists.
According to these photographs, it can also be seen that graffiti was sprayed onto this same building in April whereas another US consulate – found in Melbourne – witnessed similar acts carried out by pro-Palestine activists in May.
Australia has long been regarded as one of Israel’s closest allies but it has become more critical about its actions in Gaza where an Australian aid worker was killed earlier this year during an Israeli attack.
Last month saw camps erected on campuses across Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and other cities across Australia protesting against Israel’s War on Gaza while accusing their government for not doing enough to push for peace.
