Wild moment vandals behead King’s statue
Vandals have beheaded a statue of King George V in the heart of Melbourne, defacing the monument with red paint and an anti-colonial message ahead of the King’s Birthday public holiday.
Victoria Police confirmed they are investigating after the statue of the 20th century British monarch in Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue was found damaged about 9am Monday.
The £17,000 statue - today worth more than $AUD32,000 - is more than 70 years old.
Video circulated on social media captures the unknown vandals in action, one of whom can be seen sawing at the statue’s neck before it topples to the ground.
The statue is then sprayed with red paint and before a different vandal - who is wearing a head torch and high-vis - sprays the message: “The colony will fall”.
One video seen by NewsWire is accompanied by the song God Save the Queen by The Sex Pistols, along with the #freepalestine and #landback hashtags.
“Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
It follows similar attacks on other monuments in the Victorian capital earlier this year - with the Captain Cook Memorial plinth at St Kilda being defaced in the same manner.
A monument in Queen Victoria Gardens near the CBD was also vandalised with red paint.
The Kings Domain monument to King George V was first dedicated in July 1952 in honour of the monarch, who was the second eldest son of King Edward VII.
It was sculpted by renowned artist William Leslie Bowles.
The outbreak of WWII delayed the construction of Bowles’ memorial, which was funded by public subscription and by council, according to the website Monument Australia
