A south-west Victorian theatre has come under fire from a number of domestic violence advocates wanting them to remove a mural painted by Rolf Harris in the ‘80s.
As ABC reports, the mural was painted in 1986 by the disgraced Australian entertainer and has been at Warrnambool's Lighthouse Theatre since, with the local city council voting to cover it in 2015 after Harris was convicted.
Activists have now started a petition to have the mural removed, citing the theatre’s public stance against domestic violence and recent support of the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
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"How can they back a campaign to end gender-based violence, while we have a mural, painted by a convicted paedophile, hidden under perspex?" Warrnambool-based activist and writer Carol Altmann told ABC.
It’s a push certain members of the council have already voiced support for, with Warrnambool City Councillor Peter Hulin stating:
"Hiding the mural behind perspex is exactly what's been happening with sexual abuse.”
"We're covering it up and pretending it's not there."
The petition is being run by Altmann and is expected to be delivered to the council before the end of the year.
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