Mother shocked by racist and antisemitic graffiti at local playground
A mother in Rolleston near Christchurch, New Zealand, says she felt sick and unsafe after discovering racist and antisemitic graffiti, including a swastika, at a children’s playground used by her young son.
Amanda Cursino, a Brazilian national who has lived in the Selwyn district for about six months, found the graffiti at Ackland Park on Lemonwood Drive. The markings included Nazi symbols and racial slurs scrawled across play equipment.
Swastika painted on children’s playground (Instagram)
Speaking to local newspaper The Press, Cursino said the discovery was deeply confronting in a space intended for children. “I feel unwelcome,” she said, raising concerns about the impact on her family and other immigrants in the fast-growing community south of Christchurch.
Cursino later shared the incident on social media, describing it as evidence of neo-Nazism in Rolleston and calling for stronger action against extremist and supremacist groups. She said Black people, Latinos and immigrants deserved respect and safety.
Amanda Cursino (Instagram)
While Rolleston is widely regarded as a family-friendly and welcoming community, the incident echoes a previous case in January 2023, when properties on Chert Street and Burnham School Road were defaced with the n-word and Nazi symbols. Residents at the time reported feeling shaken and unsafe. That episode remains the closest parallel to the Ackland Park vandalism.
As of today, there have been no public updates on any police investigation or response from Selwyn District Council. The graffiti is expected to be removed, while the incident may be investigated under New Zealand laws covering offensive or hate-based vandalism.
The case has renewed concern about the presence of hate symbols in public spaces, particularly those used by children and families.
