Protestors in Australia have toppled a century-old Captain James Cook statue was toppled and covered a Queen Victoria monument in red paint.  The vandalism occurred in Melbourne on the eve of Australia Day and is currently being investigated by police.

Australia Day, observed on January 26, commemorates the arrival of Britain’s First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, which marked the beginning of the colonial era.

The vandals inscribed the message “The colony will fall” on the base of the Cook statue. The British fleet of 11 British ships carrying a human cargo of convicts arrived in present-day Sydney on January 26, 1788.

Victoria Police said in a statement: “It is understood the [Cook] statue was sawn off at the ankles. Several people were seen loitering in the area around the time of the incident.”

Many Indigenous activists refer to Australia Day as “Invasion Day” because it marks the start of a long period of discrimination and dispossession of Indigenous peoples.

Unlike in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand, the Australian state never agreed on a treaty with the colonised people of the continent. 

Port Phillip Council Mayor Heather Cunsolo said on Thursday: “We understand and acknowledge the complex and diverse views surrounding Australia Day

“We can’t condone, however, the vandalism of a public asset where costs will be ultimately borne by ratepayers.”

The Cook statue has since been taken away and workers removed the feet from the plinth.

Victorian state premier Jacinta Allan said the government would support the local authorities to repair and reinstate the statue.

Police said they were investigating both incidents.