Manchester Magistrates’ Court has sentenced three teenagers who spray-painted a cenotaph with “Free Palestine” graffiti for criminal damage.
The incident took place in Rochdale on Nov. 7, before the Remembrance Sunday commemorations. Police protection was increased at the memorial, while officers said the offence affected local community and veterans.
Eighteen-year-old Adeem Ahmed and Amaan Tariq, as well as a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, received six-month community orders for vandalising Rochdale Cenotaph.
District Judge Joanne Hirst told the three young men that “desecration of a cenotaph” is a very serious offence and not a “normal case of criminal damage.”
“You might be interested to know that more than five-and-a-half million Muslims died in the Second World War fighting for freedom. Be under no illusion that the sentence will be serious because of the serious nature of the desecration of cenotaphs. War memorials are generally expected to be treated with respect,” she added.
The teenagers had pleaded guilty to criminal damage but denied that it was racially aggravated. They were to face a trial but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped it “on evidential grounds.”
In addition to the community orders, the offenders will also have to pay a number of fines, including £140 in compensation, £85 court costs and a £26 victim surcharge.
Tariq, Ahmed, and the third teenager said they stole the spray cans and paint brushed from a discount retail store in Rochdale.
Following the incident in November, Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Round said that police take it “extremely seriously.”
“Criminal damage toward Cenotaphs will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester and we will be robust in bringing those responsible to justice,” he added.
‘Profoundly Disrespectful’
Another incident took place at the memorial on Nov. 6. The CPS sentenced two teenagers to ten-month referral orders, including a two-month uplift due to the hate element, for damaging poppy wreaths at the Cenotaph while using anti-Semitic language.Two 17-year-olds filmed themselves during the incident and then later uploaded the video on social media.
Matthew Siddall, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West, called their actions “profoundly disrespectful.”
“By desecrating two poppy wreaths while spouting anti-Semitic language, the teenagers showed not only their contempt for the people of Rochdale but also their hateful attitude toward the Jewish community. Hate has no place in our society and we are committed to prosecuting those who use hateful language,” he said.
The teenagers had claimed that they were angered by the removal of Palestinian flags from the Cenotaph, which they said they saw in a video posted on social media.
Tens of thousands of Pro-Palestinians demonstrators have taken the streets of London every Saturday since the Israel–Hamas war broke out, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Last year, on Armistice Day, the organisers of the marches agreed to move the route away from the Cenotaph and the Whitehall area. On the day, a group of counter protesters clashed with police near the memorial.
Mr. Sunak’s spokesman said that the public was right to expect “the full force of the law” to be used in order to “bear down on some of the shocking scenes of criminality” on Armistice Day.
“Whether it was EDL protesters or those seemingly supporting Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation,” the spokesman added.
