Anger after ‘thugs’ vandalise memorial and nail Irish tricolour to it | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Anger after ‘thugs’ vandalise memorial and nail Irish tricolour to it

Police are appealing for information following an incident of criminal damage to a memorial in the Kingsmill Road area of Bessbrook.

Police discovered damage to the memorial early this morning, Monday 30 July. 

 

 

A flower pot at the memorial was damaged and a tricolour was nailed to the memorial.

Speaking to Newry Times, SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh, Justin McNulty said that the destruction of the Kingsmill memorial was ‘a new low’.  “It is totally reprehensible that in 2018 thugs vandalised the memorial of the Kingsmill massacre.

“These perpetrators will not succeed in the dragging us back to the past. This was not only an attack on a memorial but on the bereaved families of the victims. The nailing of the tricolour to the memorial shows how little respect they have for their own national flag,” he added.

Sinn Féin MLA Megan Fearon condemned those responsible. “This was a despicable act designed to hurt the families of the victims. And those who placed a national flag on the Kingsmill monument clearly have no respect for the meaning of that flag which is about peace and harmony between the main traditions on this island.

 

 

“There is absolutely no place in our society for desecrations of monuments which commemorate those who died during the conflict. Monuments and memorials are important places in communities and should be respected.

The Newry and Armagh MLA added, “I would encourage anyone with any information about who was responsible for this disgraceful act to contact the PSNI.”

Police said they are treating this as a sectarian-motivated hate crime and appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident or who noticed any unusual activity in the area to contact police at Newtownhamilton Police Station on 101 quoting reference 246 30/07/18. 

 

 

Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=64738

Posted by on Jul 30 2018. Filed under Community, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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