'This isn't a random act': Explosive claims the masked vandals who destroyed Melbourne's iconic Hosier Lane were Chinese agents furious about pro-Hong Kong graffiti
- Vandals sprayed over iconic graffiti in Melbourne lane-way on Saturday night
- Police hunting the gang do not know why they vandalised the lane
- Social media is awash with theories including that they were CCP agents
Masked vandals who destroyed Hosier Lane were Chinese Communist Party agents, conspiracy theorists have claimed.
At least ten people with face masks and paint-filled fire extinguishers sprayed over iconic graffiti in the Melbourne lane-way on Saturday as a drone flew above them.
Police hunting the gang do not know why they vandalised the lane - but social media is awash with theories.
Footage posted to Instagram on Sunday showed at least ten people with face masks paint bombing the inner-city laneway famous for urban art
Police hunting the gang do not know why they vandalised the lane - but social media is awash with theories
One Twitter account with the name First State 88 wrote: 'If you look closely you will see that all of the masked men are Chinese.
'This isn't a random act... this is a calculated assertion of power by the Chinese communist party.'
Other Twitter users speculated the vandals were covering up pro-Hong Kong or pro-Taiwan art in the lane.
Twitter user Michael R asked: 'Was there any pro Hong Kong art, or anti-CCP art still on display when Hosier Land was vandalised? If so, the leader of these "vandals" might be a Chinese agent'.
Another named Frank added: 'There is (was?) a lot of pro Hong Kong messages and Tiananmen Square references. I suspect that local agents of the Chinese Govt. are behind the cleansing. Their paranoia knows no bounds.'
At least ten people with face masks and paint-filled fire extinguishers sprayed over iconic graffiti in the Melbourne lane-way on Saturday as a drone (pictured) flew above them
Other Twitter users speculated the vandals were covering up pro-Hong Kong or pro-Taiwan art in the lane
But Chinese-Australian artist Baudico, who claims he is 'hunted' by the CCP for his anti-government artwork, rubbished the theory, saying the vandals were just youngsters messing around.
'Just west kids protest game,' he wrote on Twitter.
Hong Kong and Taiwan, regions with a level of independence from China, have long been at odds with the Chinese Communist Party.
Last year huge protests flared up in Hong Kong over a new law that would allow suspects to be extradited to the mainland.
Other Twitter users said the conspiracy theory was 'racist' because it is only based on the appearance of the vandals.
'Maybe one was Chinese one was white... I wouldn't jump to conclusions... sounds super racist,' wrote Aluna Kay.
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Meanwhile, many in the underground world of urban art are quietly celebrating the desecration.
Street artists see the brazen attack as an act of 'reclamation' of a space which has become 'too commercial'.
Once targeted by graffiti artists looking to boost their street reputations, Hosier Lane has now become a selfie spot for suburban Melburnians and tourists.
Melbourne street magazine Acclaim Magazine even went so far as to call for it to be torn down.
As the group stormed the cobblestones with makeshift spray guns, onlookers could be seen filming the commotion rather than trying to stop it
'Hosier lane is not real, it's a toothless tiger, beautiful to look at and without any threat – and it needs to go,' it stated in an undated article.
'The current state of Hosier is appalling – quality work doesn't exist or disappears instantly, while swarms of paid street art tours and an endless sea of tourists and flood the street.'
Social media users were baffled by the hostile Saturday night act, which sparked outrage online.
'Why would they do this?' one commenter asked.
'Disappointing,' another said.
But someone else pointed out that artists are likely to cover the damage over the coming days.
'It's legal who cares mate there'll be your pretty murals again in a couple days nothing lasts in that place anyways wouldn't stress it too much.'
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp told Daily Mail Australia the attack is 'not in keeping with the spirit of Hosier Lane'.
'We see this act as vandalism particularly given the damage they've done to the pavement and cobblestones.'
'Council contractors attended Hosier Lane this morning to clean the cobblestones and curbing.'
Police are using CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators.
Ms Capp described the attack as 'an extreme act of vandalism' in a statement with police.
'It has caused damage to the city of Melbourne and private property,' she said.
'The random nature in the way the young people used fire extinguishers filled with paint to cover street art that we value is unacceptable.'
Street cleaners can be seen washing paint off cobbled streets of Hosier Lane on Monday morning
