Bronze corgis another target of vandalism

Christchurch’s bronze corgis statues have been vandalised as monuments with colonial links across the world are defaced as part of Black Lives Matter protests.

The bronze corgis situated at the corner of High and Tuam streets outside C1 Espresso were installed by the Christchurch City Council in 2003 to commemorate the Queen’s golden jubilee.

They cost about $8000 each and were removed shortly after the February 2011 earthquake but were reinstated in 2014.

C1 Espresso manager Manaia Feather said she saw the blue spray-painted word ‘‘gloom’’ on one of the corgis when she opened the cafe about 6.30am on Monday.

Feather said she believed the vandalism was part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

‘‘I’ve been watching the movement . . . here in New Zealand as well as the world and it’s pretty powerful, so I reckon New Zealanders want a change,’’ she said.

A Christchurch City Council spokesman confirmed the council was aware of the vandalism.

‘‘We plan to have this removed by the end of the week. We are naturally concerned for any vandalism to council property,’’ he said.

Historical monuments across the world have been toppled over the past two weeks as Black Lives Matter protesters march through the streets to call out racism following the death of African American man George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

Earlier this week, two women were arrested after a Captain Cook statue in Sydney’s Hyde Park was defaced.