Anti-Asian sign targeting pharmacy in Sydney prompts investigation

Police in Sydney, Australia, are investigating anti-Asian signage placed outside a local pharmacy after CCTV footage captured two men posting the signs late at night in November. The placard, which read “No Asian slum-city in St Marys” was discovered on Nov. 19 outside Morris Care and Advice Pharmacy in St Marys, a suburb in western Sydney. Police later collected CCTV footage from the pharmacy and launched an investigation into the incident on Dec. 10.

Veronica Nou, owner of Morris Care and Advice Pharmacy, said she initially did not notice the placard because she entered the shop through the back. Customers later alerted her to the sign taped up outside the business, which was signed off by a white supremacist party that media outlets have chosen not to name.

“Then people started coming in saying, ‘Do you know what is taped up outside?’ And I was like, ‘No?’ I had no clue,” Nou said. She said community members quickly arrived to help remove the placard, and customers later reported seeing and tearing down other similar signs nearby.

Nou said CCTV footage from about 10:45 p.m. on Nov. 18 shows two men of Caucasian appearance taping anti-Asian signs to the pharmacy. One man was dressed entirely in black while the other wore a blue shirt and khaki shorts.

Nou said she was initially told the matter could not be investigated because the signs had already been removed. That changed after a local public health worker contacted the multicultural liaison officer at the local area command, prompting police to review the incident.

“He said, ‘Look, Veronica, it is a hate crime. We are taking these things seriously … do you want to come down to the police station now and do the report?’” Nou said. Officers later visited the pharmacy to collect a statement and CCTV footage as part of the investigation by the NSW Police Force.

NSW authorities have continued to warn about racially motivated incidents in Sydney suburbs in 2025, including vandalism and hate signage targeting migrant communities. Police and multicultural agencies have urged residents and business owners to report such incidents, emphasizing that hate-related offenses remain a priority for investigation.