Zealandia war memorial attacked in Auckland CBD by anti-colonial activist group

Anti-colonial activists have attacked a war memorial in Auckland CBD.

The anonymous group attached an axe to the head of the "Zealandia" sculpture and a poster that reads "Fascism and White Supremacy are not Welcome Here". They also smeared something red to appear like blood on the memorial.

The memorial, on the corner of Symonds St and Wakefield St, reads "In memory of the brave men belonging to the imperial and colonial forces and the friendly Maoris who gave their lives for the country during the New Zealand Wars 1845 - 1872.

"Through war they won the peace we know."

More than 2000 Maori were killed in the Maori Land Wars by British forces and the New Zealand Government.

The activist group stated in an email from "Decolo Neyes" (read decoloneyes, aka decolonise) that the Zealandia war memorial is an ode to the violent and brutal occupation of Maori lands. The anonymous email stated that the wars between 1845 and 1872 paved the way for mass confiscation and forced sale of Maori lands.

"It celebrates the ongoing colonisation of Aotearoa, its lands and its peoples.

"The settler capitalist system imposed on this land is a poison that works to systematically oppress indigenous peoples throughout the world to the benefit of corporations and the super-rich. It is a system that is doomed to fail."

The Auckland statue is one of three depicting the figure of 'Zealandia' in the country, the others located in Waimate and Palmerston, the activist group stated.

Auckland history blog Timespanner reported that the statue was unveiled in 1920 after being organised by the Victoria League - a group set up to commemorate the deeds of British soldiers and sailors.

The memorial was organised after the Graves Committee could not recover all the names for the unmarked graves of veterans.

This is not the first time the memorial has been vandalised. Soon after the unveiling, the monument was got at by the city's larrikins and the palm leaf disappeared from the hand of Zealandia, Timespanner reported.

This is no different today - in the Google Street View photo it has a cone thrown on top of it.