Second Woolies defaced over Aus Day stance
A second Woolworths has been vandalised over the supermarket’s controversial decision not to stock Australia Day products, with police arresting a man in connection to the first incident.
A Brisbane Woolworths store was vandalised over the weekend, with images circulating on social media on Tuesday.
Images show the store in Cleveland Central was spray-painted with messages about the Australia Day move on Saturday.
“Boycott Woolies now ... people power ... boycott WW,” the message read.
“Aussie Aussie Oi Oi.”
Two days later police and firefighters were called 30km away to a store at Teneriffe in Brisbane’s inner city around 5am Monday.
A fire alarm was set off with emergency services arriving to find the shopfront defaced and a flare lit off in the store’s entry.
“5 days 26 Jan Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Woolies f*** u,” was written in spray-paint on the building’s facade.
“Boycott Woolies” was also spray-painted on the front doors.
After launching an investigation, police arrested a 40-year-old man from Ormiston in the nearby suburb of Fortitude Valley at about 7:45pm on Monday night.
“He has been charged with one count each of wilful damage and wilful damage by graffiti and is expected to appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 21,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said.
CCTV footage of the alleged act shows a masked figure hurriedly spray-painting the front of the Woolworths in the early hours of the morning.
The man then sets off what is understood to be a flare, which burns intensely in front of the store, before sprinting off.
Dressed in all black, the man is seen speaking to another man who witnessed what happened before committing the alleged vandalism.
Woolworths has faced backlash from members of the community and conservative commentators over its decision not to stock Australia Day merchandise.
The supermarket giant said that “gradual decline in demand” for products featuring the Australian flag behind the move.
Aldi and Kmart will also not stock Australia Day merchandise.
