Sickening graffiti an outrage
THE failure to clean up a Nazi swastika emblazoned near Launceston’s synagogue has disappointed the city’s Jewish community.
Rabbi Yochanan Gordon of Chabad Tasmania was in Wellington St on June 20 when he spotted the symbol of the regime that murdered six million Jews during the Holocaust.
He notified the city council asking for it to be removed, and alerted a nearby kindergarten to its presence.
But the graffiti remained untouched and the council says it can’t find any record of his complaint.
“I waited two weeks for them to do it and then did it myself,” Rabbi Gordon said.
“The feeling I got was that there is a lack of understanding just how hateful the message is.”
He said while the incident was not a frequent occurrence, it was still concerning.
“I don’t think it’s that common, but I do feel that there is a lack of awareness,’’ Rabbi Gordon said.
“When I called the kindergarten, they shrugged me off. It was like they didn’t understand the hateful message.”
The chairman of the AntiDefamation Commission, Dvir Abramovich, is one of the nation’s leading anti-hate campaigners.
Dr Abramovich recently succeeded in a long campaign to ban the public display of the Nazi swastika in Victoria.
He said the slow response was hard to understand.
“What in the world was the council thinking? Is sickening neo-Nazi vandalism near a place where children play and learn not enough to warrant a speedy response, and have we reached such a low that a
rabbi has to clean up this ultimate emblem of evil?” Dr Abramovich said. “It is a painful reminder that white supremacism is alive and well in our country and this filth invading our streets is, unfortunately, becoming part of a disturbing trend.”
City of Launceston acting mayor Danny Gibson said the council did not have a record of the complaint.
“The City of Launceston abhors discrimination in any form and is disappointed to hear of this occurrence,’’ Mr
Gibson said. “The City of Launceston is highly responsive to reports of graffiti on council property and infrastructure, and we prioritise the immediate removal of hate symbols and profanity.”
He said that since May council had responded to 24 individual reports from the public of vandalism and graffiti.
“Recently there has been an increase in instances of graffiti in Launceston, much of it occurring on privately owned assets,’’ Mr Gibson
said. “While the council does not have legal authority to remove graffiti from private property or utility infrastructure, we seek to work with asset owners to facilitate immediate removal of hate symbols and profanity wherever practical and with their permission.”
He encouraged anyone who wished to report graffiti on council property to the City of Launceston’s Customer Service Team, phone 6323 3000.