A minister’s office was splashed with red paint and “dial down the apartheid” was graffitied on its doors amid protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten confirmed his Moonee Ponds office had been targeted early on Thursday morning.
“At the end of the day, nobody got hurt. We’ll just clean it all off and be open for business,” he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.
The graffiti was in reference to his remark that Australians “dial down the degree of aggro” after bloodied fake dead bodies were left outside of politicians offices last week.
Signs with “End the occupation” and “Free Palestine” were also stuck to their office windows.
Bill Shorten’s electoral office was vandalised overnight amid protests over Israel-Hamas conflict. Picture: Supplied
“Obviously someone took offence at me saying we should promote social engagement and dial down the aggro in the confrontation,” he said.
“I also said in that interview, which has obviously triggered some hoon, that the scenes in the Middle East in Palestine and Gaza and Israel are incredibly distressing.
“And of course, people have got a right to have a view about it. There’s a right to express their view.
“But there’s a fine line isn’t there – or maybe it’s not fine, maybe it’s a really easy line to see – where you cross over, and you’re just sort of demonising and attacking people in this community.”
Mr Shorten suggested to the culprits that maybe if they wanted to persuade people to share their point of view, vandalising an office might not be the best idea.
“If you feel strongly on an issue, graffitiing someone’s office at four o’clock in the morning, you know, really, what does that change?”
A group called No More Bodies in Gaza claimed responsibility for the fake corpses last week.
Mr Shorten said he believed the group was also behind Thursday morning’s defacing.
The group has been contacted for comment.
It comes as the student organisers of the School Strike for Palestine continue to encourage teenagers to skip out at lunchtime in order to join a rally in Melbourne on the steps of Flinders Street Station.
When asked about the strike, Mr Shorten said while as a former union leader he understood the merits of protests the world needed more people with an education, not missing school.
Education Minister Jason Clare agreed.
“Schools are being told that there are no make-ups or catch-ups. If students are not at school then it will be considered an absence,” he told Nine.
“The key thing is if you want to change the world get an education and that means going to school.”
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