Cambridge war memorial vandalised
The War Memorial in Cambridge city centre has been defaced by vandals overnight who scrawled graffiti across its base.
The desecration was condemned by the leader of the city council, Cllr Lewis Herbert , who said the vandalism was "totally unacceptable, and massively offensive".
And Cambridge City Football club also expressed their outrage on Twitter, writing: "Disappointing to learn this morning that the City’s War Memorial has been vandalised. Please share and let’s bring the perpetrators to justice."
A speedy clean up operation was launched today (Wednesday, December 23) to scrub off the anti war message.
Cllr Herbert said: “I also oppose unnecessary wars but making such a point by desecrating our War Memorial is totally unacceptable, and massively offensive to our residents, many of whom have served their country or whose relatives have.
“I laid a wreath there only six weeks ago on behalf of City Councillors and I ask all our residents to respect it as place where city residents pay homage and their respects to people who have selflessly served their county, including too many who paid the ultimate price including in the war to defeat Hitler.
“I’d like to thank our Council team who so speedily removed the graffiti first thing this morning, and thank all our Council staff for their massive collective effort through 2020 to maintain services through the pandemic, and protect public health and the most vulnerable in Cambridge through the most difficult of years since the Second World War.”
And Cambridge Mayor Cllr Russ McPherson said: "I must thank the city council clean up team for removing this offensive graffiti so quickly. I feel very sad that anyone finds the need to deface such a monument which stands to mark not only the sacrifice that armed services of this country made in the name of freedom, but that is also a reminder that free speech and lawful protest are a mark of that freedom.
"Perhaps they might think about this before making their protest in this offensive and illegal way."
