Police were called to the King George V statue in Melbourne’s Kings Domain on Monday morning, after it was discovered that the statue had been beheaded and covered in red paint.
The background: Other statues have been the target of vandals this year, including a statue of Captain James Cook, that was cut at the ankles before it toppled in Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne on 27 February.
Another Captain Cook statue at St Kilda’s Jacka Boulevard was also sawn off at the ankles the day before Australia Day. That same day, a statue of Queen Victoria at Queen Victoria Gardens was covered in red paint and graffiti.
A second monument to Captain Cook at Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy was found broken and covered in graffiti over the Australia Day long weekend.
The key quote: “It appears the head of the statute has been removed and red paint thrown at the monument,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.
What else to know: Victoria, and most other states in Australia, held a public holiday on Monday to observe King Charles’ birthday.
What happens now: Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.