Elderly man allegedly bashed outside polling booth on second day of pre-polling
An elderly man wearing a MAGA hat was bashed after allegedly attempting to vandalise corflutes of the Prime Minister.
An elderly man allegedly attempting to vandalise Anthony Albanese corflutes outside of an Ashfield polling booth in Sydney’s inner-west has been seriously assaulted by a teenage passer-by on the second day of pre-polling.
The man believed to be in his 80s, donning a red “Make America Great Again” hat allegedly attempted to deface one of the PM’s corflutes in his federal seat of Grayndler on Wednesday afternoon before a 17-year-old boy walked up to the man and allegedly struck him.
Volunteers had repeatedly asked the man to stop vandalising the corflute before the incident took place.
The man was treated by paramedics before being rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a serious condition.
The 17-year old boy was arrested at the scene and taken to Burwood Police station where he remains in custody while assisting police with their inquiries.
A spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission said it was “aware of the incident”.
“The incident occurred outside of our polling place and did not involve any AEC staff,” the spokesman said.
“Voting operations are continuing at the pre-poll voting centre in Ashfield.”
More Coverage
PM ducks question on Russian air base, won’t say what he was told in March
Despite revelations in The Australian today that Labor knew in March of a Russian request to use Indonesian airfields for long-range military aircraft, Anthony Albanese, campaigning on the NSW Central Coast, refused to reveal what he was told at that time.
Boost for lymphoma fight on home front
Lorna Hawkey, 84, has spent almost 30 years fighting blood cancer. Valuing independence above all else, she praised a newly subsidised at-home treatment.