SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has added its voice in condemnation of the racist display of vandalism that residents of Sydney’s Bondi Beach woke up to on Sunday morning, when over 20 swastika symbols defaced murals on Queen Elizabeth Drive.
The Swastika was used as the emblem of the Nazi Party of Germany, which carried out the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, where Bondi Beach is located, is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in New South Wales.
ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian condemned the racist vandalism as a “disgrace”.
“Armenian-Australians join with our friends in the Jewish community to call this graffiti for what it is: an unacceptable expression of race hate,” said Kayserian. “As a fellow community made up of descendants of genocide survivors, we know the offence and trauma such acts can cause a community and we will not stand for it.”
Recently, the Armenian community of Los Angeles, California was victim to similar acts of racism, when two Armenian schools were defaced with Turkish flags – Turkey being the country responsible for the denial of the Armenian Genocide, committed by its predecessor Ottoman Empire.
“There is no place for racism in Australia and we encourage anyone with information to help NSW Police bring the perpetrators to justice,” Kayserian added.
NSW Police has asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.