A Ruislip protester for the Extinction Rebellion was given a fine and was insulted by a judge after he vandalised a war memorial.
Joseph O’Malley, 33, spray painted the word ‘Mother’ onto The Monument to the Women of World War II during an Extinction Rebellion demonstration along Whitehall in November last year.
O’Malley, a volunteer tree planter, attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, October 22 and was ordered to pay a £500 fine, a £50 victim surcharge, and £200 costs – a total of £750.
The judge also gave the man some stern words for vandalising the monument, which commemorates the courage and resilience of British women who served their country during the Second World War.
According to The Metro, District Judge Richard Blake said in court: “It wasn’t protest, it was just vandalism. The manner in which you attacked this memorial was a senseless expression of the word ‘mother’. 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.”
Defending, Chantel Gaber reportedly 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.”
Picture courtesy of Rex Shutterstock
0 Comments