OBSCENE vandalism over a poster promoting the 'Yes' case for the Indigenous Voice referendum has disappointed but not deterred a Federation councillor.
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The words 'f... off' were daubed on a Corowa window displaying the 'Vote Yes!' placard between the night of Saturday August 19 night and the next morning.
Councillor Aaron Nicholls had first put it on show at the front of his Sanger Street business Regional Design Service two weeks ago.
After the defacement was discovered, the poster was shifted to another window.
"At one point I was annoyed, but at the same time I wasn't surprised because I expected it would create a bit of controversy," Cr Nicholls said.
![A picture of the defaced window with the obscenity pixelated. The image was uploaded to social media by Aaron Nicholls. A picture of the defaced window with the obscenity pixelated. The image was uploaded to social media by Aaron Nicholls.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/XJLgPnEdnKaFugZzKyL6Sw/8740aca9-7b3f-4e65-a718-5cde6ff81abf.jpg/r0_0_1170_1467_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"But I thought, as a community, we had moved away from the ugly past of the way we treated Aboriginal people in our area.
"I wasn't surprised, but at the same time I wasn't deterred."
As a member of the council's reconciliation action plan working group and having a nephew of Aboriginal descent as well other Indigenous connections, Cr Nicholls felt it was important, given his community standing, to stand up for something he believes in by displaying the sign.
"I hadn't see another 'Yes' poster around town which made me think, why not and why shouldn't we do it?" he said.
"I thought I'm not going to wait for anyone else to lead."
Cr Nicholls suspects juveniles may be responsible for the vandalism, which has been reported to police.
![Regional Design Service partners Phillip Nielsen and Aaron Nichols at their Corowa office. They are ardent supporters of the Indigenous Voice to parliament. Picture by James Wiltshire Regional Design Service partners Phillip Nielsen and Aaron Nichols at their Corowa office. They are ardent supporters of the Indigenous Voice to parliament. Picture by James Wiltshire](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/XJLgPnEdnKaFugZzKyL6Sw/74214dbb-a31f-43cf-a30b-3befdb3ee413.jpg/r0_261_5106_3143_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I hope it's kids, I'd be really, really disappointed if it's adults," he said.
"That's an awful thing to say 'I hope it's kids', but if it's kids hopefully their attitudes will change when they get older."
Cr Nicholls said he had displayed a poster in support of same-sex marriage in 2017 without enduring the same level of hostility the Voice placard had drawn.
"When we're in such a strong conservative seat, people immediately brand you as a Labor supporter and I'm not," he said.
Cr Nicholls added his support for the Voice was independent of the council and other councillors, but had been influenced by hearing from other local government representatives at a conference in Canberra in June about the need for a direct line to the federal government.
Meanwhile, a free Voice information session will be held at Deniliquin Town Hall from 6.30pm on Sunday August 27.
Law lecturer and Uluru Dialogue worker Eddie Synot will join constitutional law expert Kim Rubenstein and Indigenous research fellow James Blackwell for the event.
An estimated 300 people attended their sessions across Wangaratta, Euroa, Beechworth, Myrtleford and Bright.
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