A well-known statue of Captain James Cook was vandalized once again in 12 months ahead of the Australia Day weekend.
As per BBC, the statue, which was first revealed in 1874 was defaced with red paint and physically damaged.
Australia Day is a public holiday celebrated annually on January 26 to mark the anniversary of Britain’s First Fleet arriving in Sydney Cove in 1788, marking the start of British colonization in Australia.
However, for many Indigenous Australians, this date is painful because it reminds them of the suffering, loss of land and cultural displacement caused by colonization.
As per the outlet, the Australian police are currently investigating the matter.
The local council in Randwick, where the statue is located, condemned the vandalism.
Vandals damaged a statue by removing one of its hands and part of its face or nose.
The statue was vandalized in February of the previous year. During that incident, the vandals covered the statue with red paint and damaged parts of its sandstone.
Afterwards, repair and restoration work were completed a month later to fix the statue.
There are multiple statues of Captain Cook in different locations across Australia and some of these statues have also been vandalized, particularly around January 26.
