Same-sex marriage mural depicting Tony Abbott and George Pell painted over as tensions rise
THREE men have been filmed painting over some controversial street art in Sydney, saying it was “pornography”.
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THREE men have been filmed painting over a controversial Sydney mural after going on a late-night attack in the wake of the same-sex marriage vote.
The mural, by street artist Scott Marsh, was painted on the Botany View Hotel in the Sydney suburb of Newtown in the wake of Wednesday’s Yes result announcement in the same-sex marriage postal survey.
Marsh is the same artist who painted Kanye West kissing himself in a controversial mural in Sydney last year.
A group of men was also allegedly vandalised the artist’s George Michael mural nearby in the same night — twice.
https://t.co/cHRcyU41cY has been supplied footage of explosive scenes as three men vandalised artist Scott Marsh's same-sex marriage murals overnight. #MarriageEquality pic.twitter.com/Rb5gVlESsC
— Matt Young (@MattYoung) November 17, 2017
The Botany View Hotel mural shows former prime minister Tony Abbott wearing a wedding dress and Cardinal George Pell wearing rainbow underwear, and is titled “The Happy Ending”.
Hours after Marsh shared the finished version of the mural on Instagram, the artist shared another shot, in which Pell’s face had been covered by beige paint.
But the mural was further attacked early this morning, with three men using black paint to cover the faces of Mr Abbott and Cardinal Pell.
Footage of the men being questioned as they painted over the mural has been released to news.com.au.
“There’s pornography on the wall and we’re unbelievable,” a man says during a confrontation with a resident.
“Get over it you idiot. There’s a man’s hand in another man’s hands. Open your eyes woman.”
Angry residents confronted the men while filming the events.
News.com.au understands the men painting over the mural were angry over the depiction of Cardinal Pell.
“Why are you painting over it?” asks one woman, believed to be a local.
“Because it’s offensive to the general public,” replies one of the men.
“It’s pornography mate.”
The woman asks off camera: “You know that it’s in Newtown, right?”
One of the man replies: “Ah yeah, OK, it’s still part of Australia.”
The woman replies: “So the general public, did you hear the result yesterday?”
“The vote was for gay marriage, not for this painting.”
“It’s Australia, it’s a free country, when I do want to come here, I don’t want to see this.”
NSW Police told news.com.au they had not received calls about the incident.
- Do you know more? Email: youngma@news.com.au
Originally published as Same-sex marriage mural depicting Tony Abbott and George Pell painted over as tensions rise