Two of ANZ’s GAYTMs vandalised last night
Two of ANZ’s GAYTMs have been vandalised over the weekend in what has been described as a homophobic attack in Sydney’s CBD.
The facias of two of the cashpoints in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, were ripped off early in the evening on Sunday with Luke Mansillo capturing the image and tweeting:
Credit: Luke Manzillo/Twitter
ANZ has created ten cashpoints through agency Whybin\TBWA Melbourne to celebrate its sponsorship of Sydney’s Mardi Gras, with the flamboyantly designed fascias scattered around the city.
Last week a spokesman for ANZ told Mumbrella the only vandalism reported to them had been a sign stolen from these same machines during the Mardi Gras parade on Saturday, March 2, which they credited to someone wanting to take a “souvenir” of the event.
NSW Police have said they were called to the scene around 8pm on Sunday to reports of two men damaging ATMs with a metal bar, and said while the signage had been removed the machines themselves were untouched. “Investigations into the incident continue, however police do not believe the incident is targeted,” they added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWZmm6UY5L8
ANZ had not responded to requests for comment at the time of posting.
Update: A spokesman for ANZ told Mumbrella: “We were disappointed two of our GAYTMs were vandalised over the weekend, particularly considering the positive feedback the campaign received as a way to celebrate inclusion and diversity during the Sydney Mardi Gras Festival.
“As soon as we became aware of the incident, we dispatched a crew to clean up after the vandals and ensure the ATMs and surrounding site were secure. The remaining GAYTMs will be decommissioned tonight as originally planned.
“Unfortunately, 15 to 20 per cent of downtime for all ATMs across the county is due to vandalism, so this is not an issue that is isolated to the GAYTMs.”
Homophobic?
What crap. That’s like saying anyone vandalising a phone box is anti technology.
Dickheads are dickheads. Not everything has a reason or a message.
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What is a cashpoint?
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@angelac
Let’s spell this out for you
“The machines themselves were untouched”
They only removed the coloured panels
You think mindless vandals with a metal bar would leave the screens intact? Yeah not really
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so if someone vandalises a shop on Oxford Street it is a homophobic attack???
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Angelac – I mean really. The GAYTM’s were much more than just a money dispenser throughout the Mardi Gras season. They are a symbol of acceptance, a never before seen display of gay pride from a corporate business, let alone a financial institution, that embraced the fabulous spirit of Mardi Gras for all to see.
That the facades of the GAYTMs were ripped off & damaged in the heart of Gay Sydney – Oxford St – is an obvious, hurtful and insulting display of homophobia. Yes I wholeheartedly agree with you that dickheads are dickheads, but blind Freddy could tell you that the dickheads that damaged the GAYTMs had bigger reasons of doing this than just causing a bit of damage to some pretty looking ATMs. Get a grip lady.
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@angelac: Why could you rule out they would be homophobic? Whilst there of course is a chance of it not being homophobic, the ‘GayTMs’ were intentionally a prominent celebration of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The fact no damage was made to the ATM’s themselves indicates this point further.
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This would not appear to be just your old fashioned style of vandalism, to me it looks much more like a new pattern of homophobic behaviour. I think that after many years we are becoming a far less liberal society and a much less tolerant society. Things like this start of small and are easy to dismiss but in the longer term its a bad thing. I think there is still a streak of homophobic tension just below the surface, and when progressive ideas like this from the ANZ are attached that tension shows itself. If we are such a tolerant society, which I think we once were, then why is the idea of marriage equality still a no no.
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http://www.samesame.com.au/new.....-Oxford-St
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Angelac, there may be dickheads in the world, and while you think this may not be homo”phobic” as such, it was definitely targetting the GAYTMs and not other ATM’s. It also wasn’t about the money as the machines themselves weren’t damaged. Seems like there was a bit of a message behind it. just saying…
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CLEARLY homophobic vandalism …. they damaged both rainbow facades and didnt touch the actual ATM machines. Also the location being the heart of the gay community further demonstrates the homophobia behind this act of violence.
Hopefully the CCTV security footage will help catch the vandals.
@angelac I think you are a little blind to the message this specific vandalism is sending.
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Might be staff from NAB or CBA? Maybe staff from a Whybin\TBWA competitor?
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“That’s like saying anyone vandalising a phone box is anti technology.” (angelac)
If said phone box was the only phone box that contained an advanced form of telecommunications, and all other boxes contained toilet rolls and string, then it would indeed seem to strongly suggest that this was an act of anti-technology vandalism.
The logic here re homophobia is exactly the same.
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Oxford Street attracts the wrong crowd unfortunately wanting to pick a fight. I’m not gay, but some bogan followed me walking up Oxford Street towards Taylor Square, I could hear the word “faggot” being said right at me behind my back as I turned to enter a newsagent to purchase a bus ticket. It happened last year, nowhere near Mardi Gras time. It doesn’t surprise me the ATM panels were targeted.
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I’d hazard a guess that any rise in homophobia could be directly linked to the rise of – for want of a better word – conservative religions in this country. It does seem odd, however, that homophobes would be hanging about Oxford Street. Maybe it was the Westpac marketing team that did it…
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“Cashpoint”???? What country are we in? Is this some dialect?
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It breaks my heart when I see images like this.
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