Chinese social media outraged by racist graffiti at Sydney University

Social media users are outraged over ‘kill Chinese’ graffiti, decorated with swastikas, at Sydney University.

Anti-Chinese flyers were also posted at Melbourne universities.

The University of Sydney has called in the police over new “kill Chinese” graffiti, decorated with swastikas, found this week in campus toilets.

The incident followed the discovery of racist posters at Melbourne University and Monash University which said, in Mandarin, that Chinese would be deported if they entered buildings.

University of Sydney Union president Courtney Thompson confirmed that the words “Kill Chinese” and the Nazi swastika symbol were graffitied on the wall of a male toilet on Monday inside the university’s International Student Lounge and in toilets in the Abercrombie Building where the University of Sydney Business School is located.

Poppy Wang, a member of the university’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association told The Australian similar graffiti was found on Wednesday saying: “gas the Jews, shoot the niggers kill the chinks, race war now!” “A new one appeared in the Carslaw building (in the) male bathroom,” she said. “I think it’s disappointing someone on campus would do something like that.”

Anti-Chinese graffiti defaces a toilet wall at Sydney university.

University of Sydney civil ­engineering student Jiale Zhu first discovered graffiti on Monday, the first day of semester. “I couldn’t believe this was happening on our campus. I’ve heard of such behaviour in Melbourne but I never imagined that would happen in the University of Sydney,” he told The Australian.

Ms Thompson said it was found on Monday and removed the same day. “We’ve been made aware of racist graffiti in both International Students Lounge and Abercrombie bathrooms. The USU does not tolerate ­racism in any form and we are working swiftly with campus ­security to ensure any and all remnants are removed,” the USU said in a statement.

In a statement, the university said it was “concerned” by the graffiti.

“Every student has a right to safety at the University of Sydney. Any graffiti or posters placed around campus of a racist nature are immediately removed,” the university’s said.

A spokeswoman for the university said they were working with the police over the affair.

SBS Chinese reported that Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang issued a statement urging Australian authorities to properly handle the case.

“The safety, dignity and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students in Australia must be protected with concrete ­efforts,” Mr Lu reportedly said.

The incidents in Melbourne last week also elicited a response from the Chinese government, with Mr Lu saying the matter has “raised dissatisfaction” among Chinese students.

“This incident raised dissatisfaction and disapproval from Chinese students studying in Australia and drawn attention from the Chinese people back home,” he said. “I have noted reports saying relevant universities have removed flyers and handed over relevant information and material to the police. We hope that this case can be handled properly as soon as possible.”

A supremacist group has claimed responsibility for the Melbourne incidents and ­described it as a prank. The group said it was about race, and to protest the number of Chinese students at universities.

The incidents have lit up Chinese language social media in Australia.

The popular Australian Red Scarf group wrote in a post that the Sydney graffiti was unlikely to be isolated and appeared worse than the Melbourne posters.

“Australian Red Scarf will continue to focus on the matter,” the article’s author wrote.

Both Melbourne universities passed on their CCTV footage to local police.