Shoalhaven City Council has refused to host the Wall of Tears, a mural commemorating children killed in Gaza, after organisers were asked to investigate hiring armed guards. Council chief executive Andrew Constance decided against hosting it, citing staff safety concerns. The work is due to be installed at Berry Uniting Church on Thursday.
The council’s decision came after Shoalhaven Friends of Palestine, the organising group, were told to investigate having armed guards, shorten the exhibition from eight days to three, restrict entry by RSVP with locked doors, and stop advertising due to potential “reputational risk” to the council or gallery. The group said it would meet all the requirements, but former Liberal MP Andrew Constance, now the council chief executive, decided against hosting the event, citing staff safety.
Annette Pham, a group member, said she was “deeply disappointed” and described the suggestion that armed guards might be necessary as “deeply disturbing.” “We are organising a memorial art exhibition, not an event for which Council has disclosed any specific credible threat of violence requiring consideration of armed protection and metal screening,” she wrote in an email.
The mural, by American artist Phil Buehler, pays homage to 18,457 children reported killed in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 19 July 2025. It was first shown in New York on 29 January and has toured Australia, including on the front lawns of Parliament House in Canberra in September.
Buehler said he was shocked his artwork could be seen as a safety risk. “They’re children. They’re like your children, my children,” he said. “If people would just look at that, how can that be dangerous? The danger is put on by other people who are trying to turn it into something it’s not.”
A council spokesperson said the installation was “deemed to present an unacceptable level of risk to gallery staff, visitors and tenants of the building.” The council did not respond directly to a question about what had triggered the safety concerns.
The artwork has been displayed in Adelaide and at the Western Australian parliament. Dr Mairead Heaney of Perth Doctors Medical Aid for Palestine said a number of Labor, Greens and independent MPs visited it at federal Parliament. Labor MP Tony Zappia told Parliament the banner was “a sad reminder of the level of Palestinian human losses, suffering, and daily violations they endure, while much of the world looks away.”
Pham has arranged for the wall to be installed at Berry Uniting Church on Thursday.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The council’s decision raises concerns about self‑censorship and the limits of free expression in public venues, particularly around politically sensitive art.
- It shows how risk assessments can be used to effectively block controversial exhibitions without a clear public safety threat.
- The episode may influence how other Australian councils handle requests to display works on the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.
Background
The Wall of Tears is a mural by American artist Phil Buehler that commemorates children killed in the Gaza conflict. Based on a reported death toll, it has been shown in New York and across Australia, including at the federal Parliament House in Canberra.
Key Perspectives
Shoalhaven City Council: The installation presented an “unacceptable level of risk” to staff, visitors and tenants.
Annette Pham (Shoalhaven Friends of Palestine): Called the decision “deeply disappointing” and the demand for armed guards “deeply disturbing” for a children’s memorial.
Phil Buehler: Said he was shocked the work could be perceived as dangerous, stating the risk comes from others misrepresenting it.
What to Watch
- The exhibition’s opening at Berry Uniting Church on Thursday and any protests or public reaction.
- Whether the council provides further explanation of its safety concerns.
- Potential reactions from local politicians and community groups that may shape future decisions.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedShoalhaven council refused to host the Gaza children’s mural over safety concerns.World news | The Guardian: “A New South Wales local council has refused to show a world-renowned artwork about children killed in Gaza after asking organisers to investigate hiring “armed guards” to counter the risk of “community conflict” over the mural.”
- SupportedOrganisers moved the exhibition to Berry Uniting Church after the council asked them to investigate armed guards.World news | The Guardian: “Shoalhaven city council asked the group to “investigate” the use of “armed guards” in a risk assessment seen by Guardian Australia. ... Pham has now arranged for the work to be installed at Berry Uniting Church on Thursday.”
- SupportedCouncil chief executive Andrew Constance decided against hosting the event, citing staff safety concerns.World news | The Guardian: “Despite this, email correspondence shows Andrew Constance – the chief executive of the council and former Liberal MP – decided against hosting the event, citing staff safety concerns.”
- SupportedThe work is due to be installed at Berry Uniting Church on Thursday.World news | The Guardian: “Pham has now arranged for the work to be installed at Berry Uniting Church on Thursday.”
- SupportedOrganisers were asked to investigate armed guards, shorten the exhibition from eight days to three, limit entry to RSVPs with locked doors, and stop advertising over reputational risk.World news | The Guardian: “The group was also asked to reduce the exhibition window from eight days to three days and restrict attendance to RSVPs only in the gallery, which would have “locked doors”. Organisers were also requested to no longer advertise the event due to potential “reputational risk””
- SupportedThe group said it would meet all the requirements.World news | The Guardian: ““You’ve got to be kidding me,” but we still wrote back to them and said we would meet all the requirements you want,” said Annette Pham, a member of the group.”
- SupportedPham said she was “deeply disappointed” and that the suggestion armed guards might be necessary was “deeply disturbing.”World news | The Guardian: “Pham wrote to the council stating she was “deeply disappointed” by the decision and said the “very suggestion that armed guards might be necessary for an exhibition commemorating dead children is deeply disturbing”.”
- SupportedPham wrote that the council had disclosed no specific credible threat requiring armed protection and metal screening.World news | The Guardian: ““We are organising a memorial art exhibition, not an event for which Council has disclosed any specific credible threat of violence requiring consideration of armed protection and metal screening,” Pham wrote in her email.”
- SupportedThe mural pays homage to 18,457 children killed in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 19 July 2025.World news | The Guardian: “The massive artwork pays homage to the 18,457 children killed in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 19 July 2025”
- SupportedThe mural was first shown in New York on 29 January and was displayed on Parliament House’s front lawns in Canberra in September.World news | The Guardian: “including on the front lawns of Parliament House in Canberra in September. The massive artwork ... was first shown in New York on 29 January”
- SupportedBuehler said, “They’re children. They’re like your children, my children,” and asked how looking at the mural could be dangerous.World news | The Guardian: ““They’re children. They’re like your children, my children,” he said ... “If people would just look at that, how can that be dangerous? The danger is put on by other people who are trying to turn it into something it’s not.””
- SupportedThe council spokesperson said the installation was deemed an unacceptable risk to gallery staff, visitors and building tenants.World news | The Guardian: “A council spokesperson said in a statement that they had considered the request, but “the installation was deemed to present an unacceptable level of risk to gallery staff, visitors and tenants of the building”.”