The Australian War Memorial in Canberra was vandalized with Pro-Palestinian slogans on Friday before dawn, according to Australian Capital Territory Policing and the Returned and Services League of Australia.
‘Disgusting and deplorable’
“Police are very disappointed this morning to see a national institution which holds a special significance to many being vandalized,” Acting Inspector Lisa Broomhall said in a police statement. “We would like to remind the community that while peaceful protest is part of healthy democracy, criminal acts will not be tolerated.”
RSL Australia, which advocates for the medical services and other needs on behalf of Australian servicepeople, condemned the vandalism in a Friday statement, and called for the perpetrators to be apprehended and to face the full force of the law.
“The brave Australians who have served and died in serving our country in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations over the past century or more had nothing to do with the current conflict in Gaza or the situation confronting Palestinians, and to use our national War Memorial as a platform to protest is contemptable,” said Melick. “The desecration of the Australian War Memorial does nothing to enhance the cause of those suffering in the Middle East and offended not only veterans and service personnel, but all fair-minded and freedom-loving Australians.”
