Captain Cook and Queen Victoria statues vandalised on eve of Australia Day

A statue of British explorer Captain James Cook was sawn off the ankles and a statue of the UK's Queen Victoria was splattered with red paint in Melbourne early on Thursday on the eve of Australia's national day. The Cook memorial plinth in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda was also graffitied with the words of “the colony will fall.“ Cook's sawn off statue was placed on the ground in front of the monument. The statue was also doused in red paint in January 2022. Watch more on Independent TV: Click here to subscribe to The Independent: About The Independent: Making Change Happen. The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. Connect with The Independent: Check out our full video catalog: Videos, daily editori