7/7 memorial vandalised...

[max_tranmere]

The memorial to the victims of the 7th July 2005 bombings in London has been vandalised. The memorial is in Hyde Park and some people got in there last night. It is the anniversary today, 9 years since it happened, and the attack on the memorial was obviously done to coincide with that. I don't think there are CCTV cameras there, if so they'd have shown the footage of the vandals on the news today and they never did.

This is disgraceful and no doubt done by some muslim extremists who condone the actions of the bombers and have no sympathy for the victims. The authorities should do whatever it takes to catch these people and there should also be a minimum-term jail sentence for anyone defacing or vandalising a war memorial or similar structure. Wouldn't people agree?

[David Johnson]

"This is disgraceful and no doubt done by some muslim extremists who condone the actions of the bombers and have no sympathy for the victims."

"No doubt"? This strikes me as utter nonsense.

A few years ago, there was some footage of someone pissing on the War Memorial in Blackpool

Muslim extremists commenting on the British army? Nazis taking a break from riding on the Big Dipper? No, a British woman pissed up on a Friday night.

[cockneygeezer2009]

"The authorities should do whatever it takes to catch these people and there should also be a minimum-term jail sentence for anyone defacing or vandalising a war memorial or similar structure. Wouldn't people agree?"

Despicable crime. Don't forget the scumbags who steal metal plates of soldiers names who gave their lives in wars from memorial's too.

[Sam Slater]

Doesn't have to be Muslims that defaced a memorial. Plenty of idiots have done in the past. A student in Sheffield was caught pissing on poppies laid at the war memorial and was discussed on these very forums at great length.

However, on this occasion, given that the graffiti on the memorials read "4innocent Muslims" it does lend weight to the idea that it's more likely that whoever did it were Muslim or only sympathised with the death of the 4 Muslims killed that day.

[max_tranmere]

I'm aware people from all backgrounds deface war memorials, I've seen news reports of drunken idiots pissing on them and things. It's just that when something happens a few hours before the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings it suggests it is not some random idiot/idiots walking past who just fancied doing it, it is instead most likely someone doing it with an agenda in mind - in other words to say "screw the 7/7 victims, I'm on the side of the bombers" - and it is for that reason I'm of the view this was done by muslim extremists.

If someone pissed on a war memorial whilst staggering home from the pub, and this was at any time other than during Remembrance Week then I would regard them as random idiots (still deserving of big punishment though), if it was done late in the evening on 10th November one year I would think it was very likely done as a way of saying "sod the British victims of war, I am against them and their sacrifice". It seems very very likely that this defacing of the 7/7 memorial, late in the evening prior to the day of the anniversary, was not some random thing but had a political type message attached to it.

Whatever the reason for defacing such things the punishment should be severe. They should be publicly vilified in the media too.

[max_tranmere]

Defacing war memorials or stealing things from them are certainly despicable acts. As I said in my comment just now the punishment should be severe and the people who did it should be publicly vilified in the media aswell.

[max_tranmere]

It seems very likely this was muslim extremists, the fact it was done just hours before the anniversary of 7/7 suggests they had a political agenda and it wasn't just some idiot walking past who fancied doing it - like when people piss on war memorial at other times of the year. As I said above if someone defaced a war memorial on 10th November, just hours before Remembrance Day, it would be almost certain they were doing it to dishonour of war dead. Doing something like that at any other time of the year suggests there was not a political type message being sent but it was instead some random idiot doing it. Whatever the reason though the punishment should be severe.

[max_tranmere]

With all the things in the news during recent times about a more thorough enquiry into Hillsborough and so on, you could just imagine the uproar if someone defaced that memorial outside Anfield. There should certainly be an uproar if someone defaced the Hillsborough memorial, no question, what I find odd is that little coverage was given to the defacing of the 7/7 memorial (52 dead, hundreds injured), no politicians commented on it, and so on. But if the Hillsborough memorial was defaced (96 dead, hundreds injured) the outcry would be vastly bigger. The Prime Minister would comment no doubt and it would be front-page news in the print press and top story on the national news. It seems certain those things would happen if the Hillsborough memorial was defaced. Does anyone have any theories as to why this is, surely both events would be very bad indeed and would deserve to be treated the same?

[David Johnson]

To be honest I probably went off a bit half cocked on this because I replied before I knew exactly what the defacement of the war memorial entailed.

Having said that "Blair lies, thousands die" tallies with my own view though I would never dream of daubing it on a memorial.

As for "4 innocent Muslims", the Muslims involved are no more innocent than the British solders who shot unarmed, injured and incapacitated Afghans are innocent.

Given the timing, I think the likeliest perpetrators are Muslim extremists but at the moment we just don't know.

As for minimum jail terms, I am not so sure about that. I prefer to leave it in the hands of magistrates or whoever to use discretion.

[cockneygeezer2009]

"It seems certain those things would happen if the Hillsborough memorial was defaced. Does anyone have any theories as to why this is, surely both events would be very bad indeed and would deserve to be treated the same?"

Perhaps the media didn't want to give the criminal graffiti nutters anymore publicity than they deserved. It's your opinion that the 7/7 memorial defacing didn't get much publicity. You should be asking the media why that is the case.