London: Holocaust memorial posters defaced with ‘lies’ graffiti
A number of posters advertising a Holocaust memorial event in East London have been defaced.
The posters had been put up around the Stratford area to advertise an event being held on Holocaust Memorial Day (January 27) by Newham Council.
However, a number of the posters have been defaced – with the words ‘LIARS’ and ‘KILLER’ scrawled across them.
Police are investigating the incident as ‘racially aggravated criminal damage’ – and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
The Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: “This despicable and cowardly hate crime is an assault on the values of decency and mutual respect which the vast majority of us share.
“This outrage underlines not only the importance of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive but of standing up to intolerance and hatred at every opportunity.
“Newham Council will work with our police partners to bring those responsible to justice.”
The event marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where at least 1.1 million people were killed – including Jews, Roma, homosexuals, Poles and other prisoners.
Olivia Marks-Woldman of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust told Jewish News: “We’re appalled by this anti-Semitic graffiti attack on a poster for the Newham Holocaust Memorial Day event.
“We welcome and echo the Mayor of Newham’s strong condemnation.
“The fact that Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism are still issues in contemporary Britain demonstrate how relevant and necessary commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day continues to be.
“We hope as many people as possible will demonstrate their contempt for attacks like these by commemorating the day on 27 January.”
