“I just say, again, reiterate my call to turn the heat down. And measures such as painting the US consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is, of course, a crime to damage property.”
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Police are canvassing the area, reviewing further CCTV footage and seeking information from anyone who saw the attack.
The US consulate was also sprayed with graffiti in April, when the slogan “Freee [sic] Gaza” was painted on the building and pink paint was splashed on the windows.
The US consulate in Melbourne was also sprayed with graffiti by pro-Palestine activists on May 31, in a co-ordinated series of incidents during which the offices of several MPs were vandalised.
Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw told Senate estimates in May that there had been a 35 per cent year-on-year increase in significant security threats to parliamentarians, which required extra resources.
The long-running Israel-Palestine conflict escalated on October 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 250 hostages, half of whom have since been freed or have died.
Israel invaded Gaza shortly after the Hamas assault, occupying parts of the territory and killing more than 36,000 people, according to the region’s Hamas-run health ministry.
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