James Cook's monument vandalized in Sydney

An Australian state government leader said yesterday she was considering tougher laws to protect monuments after two statues of British explorer James Cook were vandalized in Sydney.

Two women were charged with defacing a statue with spray paint in downtown Hyde Park on Saturday night. Another statue was discovered spray-painted in the eastern suburb of Randwick on Sunday morning in an unrelated attack, police said.

Cities around the world are taking steps to remove statues that represent cultural or racial oppression.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she would consider toughening laws to deter future vandalism. “I wish it didn’t come to this and I want to stress that it’s only a very, very small percentage of the population that’s engaging in this activity, the vast majority of us don’t condone it, we think it’s disrespectful, It’s un-Australian,”

Cook came ashore in the district in 1770 in what was to become the site of the first British colony in Australia.