US consulate in Sydney vandalised overnight in suspected politically motivated act

The US Consulate building in North Sydney has been vandalized overnight sparking a police investigation, Report informs referring to ABC News.

CCTV footage obtained by police shows a hooded figure with their face obscured smashing nine glass windows of the consulate office with a hammer at around 3 am on Monday morning.

Two red triangles were also spray-painted over the consulate's coat of arms on the front door.

Police have described this as an incident of malicious damage and are still working to identify the motive behind the incident, but it is believed to be politically motivated.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the act, urging people to have "respectful political debate and discourse."

"People are traumatized by what is going on in the Middle East, particularly those with relatives in either Israel or in the Palestinian occupied territories."

Speaking at a press conference in Canberra on Monday morning, Mr. Albanese called for people to "turn the heat down," adding that it's "not the Australian way,".

"Measures such as painting the US Consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is, of course, a crime to damage property."

Forensic officers have been gathering evidence including fingerprints and taking photos of the damage to the consulate building on Miller Street.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact crime stoppers as they continue to search for the offender.