Employee shaken after Nightcliff Caltex attacked by vandals

An overnight attack on a Darwin business has left a staff member shaken and Territorians inconvenienced. Read what happened.

A female employee was left shaken after protesters vandalised a service station in Nightcliff overnight.

At least two people wearing plastic gardening face masks blackened display screens with paint, sprayed foam into bowser nozzle slots and left graffiti on the concrete floor at the Nightcliff Caltex service station on Progress Drive.

A staff member who arrived at work not long after the attack declined to comment on the incident, but was left visibly shaken by the attacks that occurred not long before her shift commenced.

Nightcliff Caltex service station

All four bowser display screens were sprayed with paint in the attack, and the staffer had to remove foam from the machines. The service station continued operating with the support of staff and local management.

Joan, a pensioner from Millner who was filling up at the Caltex on Friday morning, said attacks by vandals on workplaces exposed the risks of a job in customer service.

“It’s inconvenient for me, but I feel sorry for the staff,” she said. “It’s got nothing to do with them and would be frightening.”

An NT Police spokesperson confirmed police received a report of property damage and graffiti at the service station about 8am Friday.

“CCTV footage was reviewed and it is alleged two unknown individuals attended the service station around 3.50am wearing face coverings and gloves, before proceeding to damage property and graffiti the fuel bowsers,” they said.

“Police have since attended and investigations remain ongoing.”

Despite a US-brokered ceasefire having been in place in Gaza since the release of hostages by Islamic terrorist group Hamas last month, anti-Israeli vandalism has continued in Darwin.

Foam was sprayed into the nozzle groove.

Nightcliff jetty has been subject to a number of attacks in recent months and stencilled graffiti belatedly calling for the end to the conflict in Gaza regularly appears on Darwin footpaths.

Despite being 11,000km from Gaza, a handful of Top End activists continue to protest about the Middle East.

“All they’re doing is disrupting customers,” Joan said.

The local activists subscribe to the US-founded Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which targets Caltex because its parent company, Chevron, was founded in the United States.

The NT’s small cohort of anti-Israeli activists operate under cover of darkness with an eagle-eyed Territorian recently snapping an image of a pair of operatives in action on Trower Road.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact police on 131 444, quoting reference number NTP2500117942. An anonymous report can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Caltex has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Employee shaken after Nightcliff Caltex attacked by vandals