The US Consulate Building In Sydney Was Attacked By Vandalism Related To Palestine, PM Albanese Angry

JAKARTA - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the vandalism of the United States consulate (US) in Sydney. Local media said the perpetrators were suspected of being linked to pro-Palestinian protests.

The US Consulate instromet was sprayed with paint by someone carrying a small hammer at around 03.00 a.m. local time, Monday, June 10.

"I just want to say that the public must have a respectful political debate and discourse," Albanese told a news conference.

"The act of doodleing the US Consulate has nothing to do with advancing the struggle of those who commit crimes by damaging property," he added.

Nine consulate windows were broken and the door to the building was filled with graffiti, police said.

"The CCTV source showed someone wearing a dark hoodie with a covered face carrying what looked like a small hammer," a police spokesman told Reuters by telephone.

A US consulate spokesman confirmed the building had been damaged but said staff and operations were not affected.

Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police are investigating the incident, the spokesman said in a statement.

consulate photos on the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper site show an overturned red triangle sprayed on the front of the building. The symbol was used by several pro-Palestinian activists, he reported.