Billboard vandalism becomes personal for Bay of Plenty MP Angie Warren-Clark

Nazi symbols and black eyes are among some of the hallmarks defacing Labour election hoardings featuring Bay of Plenty MP Angie Warren-Clark. Photo / Supplied

A Bay of Plenty MP and former women's refuge manager has become the target of a new "nasty" level of billboard vandalism featuring the blacking out of her eyes - and she says the attacks feel personal.

Election hoardings in Pāpāmoa featuring list MP Angie Warren-Clark and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern are the latest to be defaced ahead of this year's general election.

Warren-Clark said she partly expected typical "childish" vandalism once the election signs went up "but I certainly didn't think it would go down this track".

A large swastika has been spraypainted on a hoarding featuring Warren-Clark on Pāpāmoa's Parton Rd. Another sign elsewhere in the beachside community also features the Nazi symbol.

"I think it's really unfortunate for our Jewish community and our holocaust survivors and their families, to see these symbols," Warren-Clark said.

Election hoardings featuring Bay of Plenty MP Angie Warren-Clark have been targeted by vandals. Photo / Supplied

Other signs featuring Warren-Clark have resulted in vandals blacking out her eyes, creating another level of concern.

Before entering politics, Warren-Clark managed the Tauranga Women's Refuge for a number of years. The number of women she helped after they were beaten at the hands of their partners was countless.

"Personally ... when I see someone blacking out my eyes, that's different to me than what it might mean to other people. To me, that feels like an attack. To me, it feels personal. But also, the use of Nazi symbolism, I find that really abhorrent.

"In this day and age ... all people should be angry [about this]. This is not okay."

Warren-Clark said the vandalism to Labour hoardings had become constant and much of it had ramped up since the latest poll in which Labour had gained popularity.

To me, that feels like an attack. To me, it feels personal.

"Some of those are smashed down, some have either been punched or someone's put a sharp type of object through Jacinda. I kind of feel sorry for my volunteers. They are going out there [fixing hoardings] in their own time.

"It's just not on. All it does is harm. It doesn't engage anyone. It's just destructive."

Warren-Clark also stood for election in 2017 "but we didn't see this" back then.

"We saw a little vandalism but very minor in our electorate of the Bay of Plenty. This election seems very different ... I think there's perhaps a level of nastiness, in general, in politics at the moment."

Labour election hoardings have been targeted by vandals in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / Supplied

Warren-Clark said it was great to have people passionate about their views and their politics but there was no excuse for this vandalism.

Last week, Waiariki MP Tāmati Coffey laid complaints with police after his hoardings were ripped out of the ground or went missing.

Juliet Moses, a spokeswoman for the NZ Jewish Council, said the imagery was "disturbing and traumatic" for members of New Zealand's Jewish community.

"We still have Holocaust refugees and survivors living in our community and of course that will conjure up all sorts of personal memories for them.

"But I would say it is disturbing in general for the community as a symbol of hatred and genocide."

She pointed to those in New Zealand who served in World War II and believed many would feel the same about the symbol as the Jewish community did.

Moses questioned whether the meaning or the "severity of what it [swastika] stands for" had somehow been lost over the years.

"I would hope that people are educated enough to understand the trauma that it can cause and the offence."

She said it was "extremely disturbing" to see a billboard defaced with a swastika.

Multicultural Tauranga vice president Premila D'Mello labelled the vandalism as despicable and said she saw nothing but "cowardice in this action".

"Our advice to everyone in the community and to the migrant communities is to be aware of these miscreants who want to cause disruption.

"We would like to invite them to focus on the real issues and stay away from this kind of unnecessary distractions."