Australian police are investigating the vandalism of a Captain James Cook statue in Sydney, which was covered in red paint and disfigured just before the Australia Day weekend.
This marks the second attack on the statue in 12 months, with vandals knocking off parts of its face, nose, and a hand.
The local council in Randwick condemned the act as damaging to community reconciliation efforts.
Australia Day, commemorating the 1788 landing of Britain’s First Fleet, remains divisive, as many Indigenous Australians regard it as a painful reminder of “colonisation and displacement”.
Captain Cook statues across the nation have become frequent targets of protest, reflecting ongoing tensions surrounding the holiday’s significance.
BREAKING ⚠️
Anti-Australian extremists have defaced a Captain Cook statue in Sydney and vandalised 20 statues of former Prime Ministers in Ballarat. pic.twitter.com/zDiH3vTO34
— The Noticer (@NoticerNews) January 23, 2025
