Former All Black Captain "Buck" Shelford Dismayed By Anti-Israel Graffiti On Defaced Bridge of Remembrance, As Council & Police Missing in Action
Sir Wayne "Buck" Shelford & the NZ Jewish Council concerned by the graffiti, as The Wigram tries to find who water-blasted and defaced one of the city's oldest war memorials.
The words “Fuck Israel” sit among several items of Anti-Israel and Pro-Palestinian graffiti that have appeared on the archways and stonework of the Bridge of Remembrance. RSA President Sir Wayne “Buck” Shelford and members of the Jewish community have expressed concern.
Pictured: Sir Wayne “Buck” Shelford (centre)
Pictured: Defaced posters near the bridge.
Meanwhile Police could not be drawn for comment, noting “As noted previously, we have a growing demand for our services from within our organisation and from accredited media and we are unable to continue accommodating requests from unaccredited people or blog sites.”
Nor did Mayor Mauger or his deputy Pauline Cotter respond to questions. Of the city councillors, only Tim Scandrett replied, writing “All memorials should be respected”.
Compounding the problem, contractors working in the early morning have tried in vain to waterblast all trace of the words and imagery off the bridge, raising questions about potential for further damaging the stone and difficulty of reinstating the memorial.
Pictured: The words “Fuck Israel” and a flag remain visible on the stone passageway.
On his morning walks to work, local man James saw the graffiti and the efforts to remove it from the memorial bridge. In the wake of Canterbury earthquakes and the closure of the Christchurch Cathedral, the city centre has shifted to the bridge, which has been used by both Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian protesters.
Since Hamas’ 7 October attack, red-and-white posters depicting the plight of Israeli hostages have appeared on the stone bench in front of the bridge and nearby light poles. They have been ripped up or smeared with Anti-Israeli sentiment. The Wigram has also witnessed a passing driving verbally abusing Pro-Israel protesters walking along Cambridge Terrace.
The protesting has taken on a new gravity in light of the significance the bridge holds in the heart of Cantabrians as a memorial to the city’s men and women who have served in the armed services.
Yesterday, the appearance of the graffiti has dismayed Sir Wayne Shelford, The Royal New Zealand Returned Servicemen’s National President.
“It is incredibly disappointing to see the damage done to Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance during recent protests,” wrote Shelford.
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