‘Shameful’ vandals paint swastika onto Anzac memorial at Avalon Beach RSL
The war veteran community has been left outraged after ‘shameful’ vandals painted a Nazi swastika onto a Sydney Anzac memorial — while other offensive graffiti was scrawled onto a flag pole at the site.
Manly
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A swastika has been daubed on a memorial to deceased Australian war veterans on the northern beaches.
Vandals painted the symbol of hate on the Cenotaph outside the Avalon Beach RSL Club.
The words “sex tourist’ were also scrawled on a nearby flagpole that is part of a memorial footpath honouring the war dead.
Club management called police after discovering the swastika — a symbol of Nazi Germany — on the granite sculpture on Tuesday morning.
The club’s general manager Angus Rimmer said its members, and the veterans’ community, was outraged by the desecration of the memorial.
The Avalon Beach RSL Sub-Branch said it was also shocked by the graffiti.
Mr Rimmer said vandals appeared to have used a think, black, artist’s texta.
“Obviously everyone associated with the club and the sub-branch are pretty disgusted by this,” Mr Rimmer said.
“This is a fantastic community, yet it seems that one silly idiot is trying to make a name for themselves by creating a controversy.
“Unfortunately we have no idea who may have done this. It could be anyone.”
The Cenotaph is located on the northern side of the club premises, on the edge of a public reserve.
Mr Rimmer said management removed the offensive image from the Cenotaph and the wording on the flag pole as quickly as possible.
Tamara Sloper-Harding, an Avalon Beach RSL sub-branch vice-president, said its members were hoping police found the culprit as soon as possible.
“The vandalism has come as a real shock to the community and the RSL Club which are very supportive of veterans and Australian service personnel,” Ms Sloper-Harding, an Australian Navy veteran who served in East Timor. said.
“It has been on local social media and has caused an outcry.”
People commenting on the graffiti on said they had also seen the words “sex tourist” written on a wall outside a pharmacy on Old Barrenjoey Rd and on public property on the beach’s northern headland.
One person commented that the graffiti attack, with Anzac Day a month away, as “shameful”.
Other comments included “Very sad. Very disrespectful“ and “Hope you find out who did this and let boys of Av RSL get hold of him or her”.
A police spokesman confirmed they had received a report about the vandalism.
“There is no CCTV footage available of the incident so we are keen to hear from any member of the public who might have information to assist us,” the spokesman said.
