Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the act of vandalism against the American consulate in Sydney, where the building was spray painted – according to local media, as a sign of support for the Palestinians, Reuters and BTA reported.
The building in the northern suburbs of Australia's largest city was sprayed with spray today at 3 a.m. local time (20:00 Bulgarian time on June 9), police in the state of New South Wales said.
„I would say that people should have a respectful political debate,” Albanese said, commenting on the case during a televised press conference in Canberra. "Such actions will not help the cause of those who damage property, which is, of course, a crime," he added.
Nine windows of the consulate were damaged, and the building's door was scrawled with graffiti, police said.
„Security cameras show a man wearing a dark sweatshirt with his face covered, who appears to be carrying a small sledgehammer,” said a police spokesman contacted by Reuters by phone.
The photographs of the consulate published on the website of the newspaper “Sydney Morning Herald” show red triangles spray-painted on the facade of the building. The symbol is used by some pro-Palestinian activists.
According to the publication, the same building was defaced in April, while in May pro-Palestinian activists defaced the American consulate in Melbourne.
Long a staunch ally of Israel, Australia has become increasingly critical of its actions in Gaza, where an Israeli strike killed an Australian aid worker earlier this year.
Last month, encampments were set up at universities in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and other Australian cities against Israel's war on Gaza. They argue that the Australian government is not doing enough to achieve peace.