Far-left anti-Australian extremists destroy colonial monument in Melbourne

Far-left extremists have destroyed one colonial monument in Melbourne and defaced another in the lead-up to Australia Day.

Anti-Australian vandals tore the Pioneer Statue in Flagstaff Gardens late on Wednesday night or early on Thursday morning, and spray painted it with the slogans “death to Australia”, “land back”, “the colony will fall”, and red triangles used by pro-Palestine activists.

The nearby Separation Memorial was also defaced with the same upside down red triangles, and the words “land back”, and the attacks appear identical to several others on public monuments in recent years.

Victoria Police said machinery appeared to have been used to pull down the Pioneer Statue, which was erected in 1871 to commemorate the earliest pioneers of the colony.

The attack comes after an Anzac statue was destroyed in the NSW town of Walgett, and another monument to English explorer Charles Grimes in Melbourne’s Yarra Bend Park in Kew was graffitied and smashed and had its bronze plaque stolen.

Anglo-Celtic advocacy group the British Australian Community spoke out about the vandalism spree on social media, where many Australians described the attack as a “hate crime”.

“While the government chases ‘thought crimes’, Australia’s heritage is under siege in the real world,” the BAC wrote.

“Where’s our special envoy? Where’s the urgency? Where’s the community consultation? Where’s the security funding? Where’s the de-radicalisation programs?”

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the monuments would be repaired.

“Defacing or damaging city assets in Melbourne will not – and cannot – be tolerated,” he said in a statement.

“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.”

Header image: Left, right, the damaged monument (supplied, Madelaine Burke).

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