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And just like that, democracy got tagged. The Greens’ campaign signs have become the latest casualty in an election season that’s going full “trash fire.” Over the past 48 hours, signs in Victoria and Queensland were discovered spray-painted with everything from four-letter words to bizarre conspiracy slogans—proof that keyboard warriors are now taking their “art” offline.

Federal Greens Leader Adam Bandt condemned the vandalism, saying the attacks were “cowardly,” while volunteers spent the day scrubbing graffiti off corflutes instead of canvassing. Nothing screams “vibrant democratic process” like having to bring WD-40 and steel wool to your political rallies.

This kind of vandalism isn’t just juvenile—it’s expensive. Printing signs costs thousands, and local candidates are left playing Whac-A-Mole trying to replace them before voters think the Greens have just ghosted their suburbs. It's unclear whether the defacers are from rival political groups or just part-time anarchists with a grudge and a Bunnings loyalty card.

The irony? The Greens are the party most likely to champion free speech and peaceful protest—and they’re the ones getting painted like the walls of a post-apocalyptic skate park. The whole thing underscores the rising tensions in what’s already shaping up to be one of Australia’s most combative elections in recent memory.

Free speech is fine. Just maybe not in high-vis at 2am with a can of spray paint and a dictionary full of slurs. Sources: The Guardian (23 Apr 2025), ABC News (23 Apr 2025), SBS (23 Apr 2025)