Victoria Police are investigating after two monuments at Flagstaff Gardens were attacked by vandals in West Melbourne overnight.
In a statement, Police said they believed heavy machinery had been used to dismantle the Pioneer monument, which was then vandalised between 10pm on Wednesday 21 January and 6am Thursday 22 January.
The monument, which was created by Samuel Craven and erected in 1871, lay in pieces this morning, with the words “death to Australia’” graffitied at its base.
The nearby Separation Memorial was also defaced with red paint, including red triangles – a symbol that has been linked to terrorist organisation, Hamas.
The Separation Memorial was also graffitied with the words “land back”.
“Defacing or damaging city assets in Melbourne will not – and cannot – be tolerated,” said Melbourne Lord Mayor, Nick Reece.
“While there are a range of views on statues and memorials, each time a monument is damaged it’s ultimately the ratepayer footing the bill – and that is unacceptable.
“We can have a debate about the future of statues and memorials, but we will never tolerate or reward vandalism.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV or dashcam or anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
