Queen Victoria statue vandalised

A statue of Queen Victoria in Sydney was vandalized with red paint just hours before King Charles and Queen Camilla's scheduled public appearance nearby. The incident occurred at the Queen Victoria Building around 5:30 AM, leading to a police investigation and the arrest of a 26-year-old man on charges of malicious damage. This act of vandalism coincided with ongoing protests against the monarchy, including a disruptive demonstration by Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe at a Parliament event, where she accused the monarchy of genocide against Indigenous peoples. Despite the protests and vandalism, the royal couple have expressed their intention to continue their tour undeterred. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to help identify additional suspects involved in the statue defacement. The statue, originally erected in Dublin in 1908, was relocated to Sydney in the 1980s.