SYDNEY (AFP) – Vandals in Australia poured red paint over a statue of famed British explorer James Cook, officials said yesterday ahead of large anti-colonial protests expected over the weekend.
Statues of colonial figures have become common targets ahead of Australia Day on January 26, a date that marks the arrival of European settlers at Sydney Harbour in 1788.
Thousands of demonstrators typically hold mass rallies on the holiday, decrying the historical plight of Australia’s Indigenous peoples at the hands of colonial masters.
The sandstone statue of Cook in eastern Sydney was doused in red paint and had its hand and nose smashed off, local mayor Dylan Parker said.
Parker said the same statue of Cook – who claimed Australia’s eastern coastline for Great Britain in 1770 – was targeted in February last year.
Local politician Andrew Hay said the vandals were “low lives” seeking to make a “political point”.
Thousands are expected to gather at protests in Sydney and Melbourne for Australia Day tomorrow, drawing attention to the many hardships still faced by Indigenous Australians.
