Greek Australian Georgina Papafotiou, former mayor of Brimbank and a candidate in the upcoming council election for Copernicus Ward, has reported repeated acts of vandalism targeting her campaign signs. Over the past few weeks, her corflute signs have been stolen, graffitied, and destroyed on multiple occasions.
Papafotiou talked to Neos Kosmos about her frustration, and her determination, in the face of these incidents.
“I have served as a teacher and school principal in Brimbank for 25 years, and it feels like those responsible for this vandalism are threatened by my potential success,” she said.
“I’ve been to the police three times now. At first, they were just pulling the signs out of the ground or doing graffiti, but now they’re stealing entire signs, taking them away completely. It’s outrageous.”
Running as an independent candidate, Papafotiou emphasised the financial toll the vandalism has taken on her campaign.
“It’s costing me thousands of dollars to run this campaign. It could end up being anywhere between $6,000 to $10,000, and that’s all coming out of my own pocket,” she explained.
“Other candidates get financial support from political parties, but I’m self-funded. So far, I’ve had about $1,000 worth of signs stolen or destroyed, and it’s becoming impossible to replace them when they only last a couple of days.”
Papafotiou said that she’s not the only one affected. “Another Greek councillor, Sam David, who is running in a different ward, is experiencing the same issue. It seems that well-known community figures are being targeted,” she said.
The police are investigating the incidents and building a case against unnamed suspects. She expressed confidence in the police, “They’ve been excellent, keeping in touch with me. We’re trying to find CCTV footage, but the spots being targeted don’t have cameras, which makes things more difficult. However, we’re waiting for witnesses to come forward.”
Papafotiou thanked the community members who have allowed her to place signs on their properties, though some have felt unsafe after repeated vandalism.
“It’s tough when people no longer feel comfortable having my signage up after their property has been targeted two or three times,” she said.
When asked if she plans to take action on this issue if elected, Papafotiou stated:”I absolutely will push for a review of Council policies regarding signage during elections. There need to be penalties for candidates caught engaging in this kind of behaviour.”
Papafotiou remains resolute despite the attacks. “I’m determined to win this election and show that I don’t need political parties behind me, and I don’t need to play dirty games to succeed,” she said. “I want to send a message to all the candidates running across Victoria—stay strong, stay positive, and fight for what you believe in.”
