Brisbane City Council election candidate reveals racist attack on his campaign for southside seat

RACIST slurs have marred the campaign of one candidate in the lead up to the Brisbane City Council election.

RACIST graffiti has marred the campaign of an African-born ALP candidate in the lead-up to the Brisbane City Council election.

Mucktar Wesseh, who is running for the new ward of Calamvale, has been targeted in recent weeks with graffiti saying “White Power” and an Adolf Hitler-style moustache on his face.

Other signs were targeted with lewd imagery.

It follows a string of election sign incidents in Brisbane’s Chandler ward, Ipswich and Logan.

Mr Wesseh said he discovered the graffiti attack a fortnight ago.

“I had my signs on Ridgewood Rd right out the front Algester State School and so yeah one evening I was just driving past because I live in Algester and I saw it and I didn’t really believe it,” Mr Wesseh said.

“Then the next morning I drove back again and pulled over and thought ‘oh no this can’t be happening’ so I took a photo and saved it in my phone and pulled it down.

“Just to me what was really shocking was the sign was right in front of a school and then for someone to do such a thing it was unbelievable, I just couldn’t believe it.”

Mr Wesseh, who moved to Queensland from Sierra Leone 15 years ago, said despite being disappointed, he did not report the incident to police.

“At first when I saw it I took offence to it to be quite honest, but on reflection I thought this is not something I can (worry about),” Mr Wesseh said.

“I’ve lived in Algester for eight years and since I have moved here, I have never experienced anything of this nature.”

Mr Wesseh, who lives in the area with his wife and two children, said he had been doing regular drives to check on his signs since the incident.

He said it had not stopped him from campaigning and door knocking in the ward to talk about key local issues such as flooding and delivery of council services.

An ECQ spokesman said the matter should be reported to police.

“Damage to elections signs is a criminal offence, and as such it is a matter for the Queensland Police Service, not the ECQ,” the spokesman said.

“The ECQ strongly encourages a report be made to (police) ASAP.”