Vandals destroy Pride sign in Sydney suburb: 'They're not welcome here'
Unknown offenders have vandalised a pride sign that was erected to celebrate the LGBTQI+ community.
A rainbow-coloured 'PRIDE' sign has been vandalised in southwest Sydney after tension over its recent installation came to a boiling point online.
The five letter sign was erected at the start of June in support of Pride Month, a global celebration which commemorates the LGBTQI+ community, however, only the letter E was left standing after the rest of the sign was "destroyed" by unknown offenders over the weekend.
A life-long Camden resident spotted the remnants of the sign on his way to town on Monday morning.
"They've lost their right to live in this beautiful town," David Funnell told Yahoo News Australia after sharing pictures online. "You can protest but don't destroy things...They should hack off. They're not welcome here."
Mr Funnell added that he had never seen anything like this in the area before.
He said he was aware there had been tension in the community regarding the symbol but feels strongly against the the violent act. "They tell me some people weren't happy with them. People are entitled to their opinion but don't resort to vandalism to prove a point," Mr Funnell insisted.
Locals reportedly clashed over the sign on social media prior to it being wrecked, with some people asking for its location so they could "smash it" or "knock it down" in now-deleted comments.
Council responds to vandalism
After being notified of the incident, Camden MP Sally Quinnell condemned the actions of the vandals.
“Camden is a diverse and welcoming community, and it saddens me to think someone would act so poorly," she told Yahoo. "To vandalise our town in such a violent and cowardly way is a disgusting act."
The Camden Council took to social media to also share their "deep sadness" over the incident.
"We pride ourselves on being accepting, inclusive and diverse and we will continue to celebrate everyone within our community for our commonalities but also for those things that make us different and unique," the post read.
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It is unknown who is behind the vandalism, with council calling for anyone who has any information to come forward.
Advocates and protestors clash during Pride Month
There have been several heated protests since the start of the month, with one contentious stand-off occurring at a primary school in Los Angeles after teachers announced they were hosting a Pride Month event.
Crowds of people flocked to the school to share their contrasting opinion, with some parents calling for a boycott while another group criticised the protests for being discriminatory.
US retailer Target also responded to threats and store confrontations regarding their Pride Mouth merchandise by moving the items to the back of the store or removing them all together.
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