CANBERRA, Australia: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the vandalism of the US consulate in Sydney on June 10, after the building was defaced in an apparent pro-Palestinian protest. The incident occurred around 3 a.m., involving a person carrying a small sledgehammer who sprayed the building with paint.
“I would just say that people should have respectful political debate and discourse,” Albanese remarked during a televised media conference from Canberra. He emphasized that such acts of vandalism do not advance any cause and constitute a crime of property damage.
The attack resulted in nine damaged windows and graffiti on the building’s door. CCTV footage captured a person wearing a dark hoodie and carrying what appeared to be a small sledgehammer, according to a police spokesperson. The US consulate confirmed the damage but stated that staff and operations were unaffected. Both the Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police are investigating the incident.
Photos published by the Sydney Morning Herald showed inverted red triangles sprayed on the building’s front, a symbol reportedly used by some pro-Palestinian activists. This incident follows previous acts of vandalism in April and May, where pro-Palestinian graffiti appeared on US consulates in Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia, traditionally a strong ally of Israel, has voiced increasing criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza. This shift follows the death of an Australian aid worker in an Israeli attack earlier in 2024. In May, university campuses across Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and other cities saw the emergence of camps protesting Israel’s war in Gaza and criticizing the Australian government’s response.
