Melbourne police are investigating an incident involving a severed head of a King George V statue appearing at a concert by Northern Irish band Kneecap in Melbourne. The incident has garnered widespread attention, and police have launched an investigation to determine the facts.
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03-17, 2025Reportedly, the statue head was removed from its statue in Melbourne's Kings Domain in June 2024. Since then, it has sporadically appeared in social media posts, including being flushed down a toilet and being barbecued. Last Friday night, the head was brought onto the stage during Kneecap's performance at the 170 Russell venue in Melbourne.
The band posted on Instagram: "Some mad head came to visit with a massive King George head so he could catch a few tunes at our last Melbourne show!" The post also quoted: "Apparently his head got chopped off somewhere in the city last year... Anyway he was put on stage for a few tunes and then taken away... Remember every colony can fall." This message highlights the band's controversial stance and its connection to the incident.
Victoria Police stated in a statement that the investigation into the damage to the statue is ongoing. A Victoria Police spokesperson said: "Detectives from the Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit are continuing to investigate the damage to a statue in Kings Domain last year. Investigators are also aware of what appears to be the head of the statue appearing at a concert in Melbourne on March 14. Detectives will investigate if there is any connection between the two incidents." Police indicated that no arrests have been made in relation to the vandalism to date.
Kneecap's popularity has surged since the release of an autobiographical film last year, in which the band members play themselves. The band raps in English and Gaelic and expresses strong Irish republican sentiments in their music and interviews. The band's concerts in Australia have been sold out, and thousands attended the band's free performance at Federation Square in Melbourne. The severed head of King George V has made multiple appearances on social media since its removal last year. On Australia Day this year, an Instagram post showed the head being burned on a barbecue.
This is not the only statue head currently missing in Victoria. In January, busts of former Australian Prime Ministers at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens were vandalized or stolen. Busts of Labor leaders Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd were decapitated and stolen, while the remaining statues were spray-painted. Subsequently, photos circulated online of people posing with what police believe to be the stolen busts. Also on Australia Day this year, a photo of a masked person in black holding a bust and a sledgehammer was posted on social media, accompanied by text stating the intention to "return the land to its rightful owners."
