Victorian Police are investigating “criminal damage” to the Captain Cook statue at St Kilda on Thursday morning.
It’s understood the statue was sawn off at the ankles, while the plinth had the saying, “the colony fail” graffitied on it.
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Members of the public reported the memorial at Jacka Boulevard had been vandalised around 3.30am
Police were told several people were seen loitering nearby around the time of the incident.
“This is not a solitary act of mischief. It’s a repeated pattern of disrespect, especially evident around Australia Day for the past six years. Such acts blatantly disregard our community’s hard-fought principles of debate and democratic expression,” he said in a statement.
“Our community’s strength lies in its ability to engage in respectful and open discussions.
“Let’s channel this incident into driving constructive, inclusive conversations rather than allowing it to fuel division.”
The controversial statue has been the targets by vandals in the past, with it covered in red paint during Australia Day protests in 2022.
Prior to that, the statue was also vandalised in 2020 and 2018.
City of Port Phillip councillor Marcus Pearl said the incident was “disheartening”.
Anyone with any information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report on the Crime Stoppers website.