An Extinction Rebellion protester who vandalised a World War II memorial which commemorates the contribution women made to the war effort was slammed by a judge for “senseless vandalism” and was ordered him to pay £750 in various costs. The volunteer tree-planter Joseph O’Malley sprayed ‘mother’ onto the memorial Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told yesterday. The monument located near Downing Street and the Cenotaph is seen by many as an opportunity to pay homage not only to those women who were part of the armed services but also those who helped the war effort more widely.
Mr O’Malley, whilst sporting somewhat of an unkept beard and wearing loose-fitting clothes was told by District Judge Richard Blake told the 33-year-old: “It wasn’t protest, it was just vandalism. For some reason, on this protest you involved yourself in hooliganism and vandalism. It was senseless. I fail to see how defacing a significant monument which recognises the role of women in our society, for too many decades overlooked, in overcoming the tyranny of Nazism, how defacing this memorial can in any way further the cause of those who seek to bring to our attention concerns about climate change.”
However, the judge did not stop there Mr Blake went on to ridicule Mr O’Malley when he said “There’s no reason I’m told you could not get employment. You’re going to need to find some work to pay this off.” Mr O’Malley, in defence via his barrister Chantel Gaber said “His intention wasn’t to damage that memorial. It wasn’t intended to cause offence. It was impulsive during the march. There was no long-term damage. The damage was temporary and minimal”. The court was told it was not possible to get a precise figure for the cost of removing the spray paint from the memorial. The vandalism was not cleaned and removed for over 2 months the court was told yesterday.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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