Shameful

It’s astonishing, the lengths some people are prepared to go to, in an attempt to show how much contempt they have for their country and for the sacrifices made by others on their behalf.

A man has been arrested after graffiti was daubed on Cambridge's war memorial hours before a Remembrance Day service.

The base of the war memorial in Hills Road was spray-painted with 10 18-inch high monkeys overnight on Monday.

A 27 year old male has been arrested, question and released on police bail without charge pending further enquiries.

Despite efforts to clean the memorial, the graffiti could not be removed. Veterans draped the memorial in flags to hide it during the 11 November service.

"We've tried cleaning it off but it won't budge. I think it will need sand-blasting," said Mr Hawkins, president of the Cambridge branch of the ex-service organisation.

You know, I have a great idea for a bout of community service. It involves a cotton bud, a bucket of water and about three years hard labour.

Here's a picture of the memorial:

This is not the first time that it has been desecrated. It also happened in March 2003 during an anti-Iraq war march.

Here's another interesting factoid about the memorial:

In 1931, however, the Daily Herald headlined 'The Empire's Armistice Call: There shall be no more war', and went on, 'Never again! That will be the vow in every sane mind throughout the British Empire today.' Hannen Swaffer asked: 'Now that Economy has come, will they really cut down those health services...Why don't we do something to stop the next war?' Two years later the first recorded alternative wreath was laid at Cambridge War Memorial, by the Cambridge Student Anti-War Movement, with the inscription: 'To the dead and wounded of all nations, victims of a war they did not make, from those who are determined to prevent all similar crimes of imperialism.'

I guess a few years later the same student anti war movement found themselves battling against Nazi imperialism.

Oh look, another anti-war march by Cambridge students that passes the memorial. This time the Indymedia Tour of Shame.

Sheesh, let the dead rest in peace will you. They've earned it.

Posted by JohnJo at November 12, 2003 08:26 AM | TrackBack