December 27, 2007
ANTI-WHALING protesters have vandalised the Japanese Consulate in Melbourne with fake blood.
A consulate spokesman, who declined to be named, said about six protesters spread red ink on carpet inside the consulate office on the 45th floor of the Melbourne Central building in Elizabeth Street this afternoon.
A man claiming to be connected to the protesters said the group wanted to highlight the "inhuman and disgusting" practices of Japanese whalers who are due in the Southern Ocean in the next month to begin their annual scientific whale hunt.
An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said AFP protective services officers removed the protesters from the building but they were not arrested.
Meanwhile, Victorian police were not investigating.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said no charges had been laid because the protesters tried to clean the mess before they left.