Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the attack on the US consulate in Sydney by pro-Palestinian protesters, saying such actions are “not the Australian way,” Al Jazeera reports.
The incident took place on Monday (local time) when a mob attacked the US Consulate with hammers and defaced it with pro-Palestinian graffiti.
At a press conference in Canberra Mr Albanese urged protesters to adopt a “lower tone”, saying: “The Middle East conflict is a difficult issue. It is complex. It certainly requires some nuance and it is not just a case of shouting slogans.”
“Actions such as painting the US Consulate do not help advance the interests of those who have committed the crime of damaging property,” he said.
Security camera footage showed a masked man, with his face covered, breaking windows of the consulate at around 3pm (local time) on Monday, Al Jazeera quoted police as saying.
The consulate's logo also featured two red inverted triangles, which are used by some protesters as a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns also condemned the incident, calling it “reprehensible”.
“This is a sign of the kind of incivility in public debate that is not needed in Australia,” Mr Minns said. “This type of behaviour will be investigated and punished by NSW Police.”
Earlier in April, the consulate was vandalised with the words “Free Gaza”, while last month the US Consulate in Melbourne was spray painted in a similar incident.
Australia is a close ally of Israel, but in recent months it has become increasingly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.
In April, Albanese condemned Israel's explanation for the killing of Australian woman Xomi Frankcom and six other aid workers in an airstrike in central Gaza, saying it was “not good enough”.
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