A man has been arrested after being filmed destroying a Jewish memorial to the victims of the October 7 Hamas attack in Brighton.
The 58-year-old from Hove was arrested on suspicion of racially/religiously aggravated criminal damage after footage of the incident was circulated online.
He remains in custody at this time.
Detective Superintendent Ben Newman said: "We understand that this incident has caused great upset within many communities, and we would like to reassure the public that our investigation team is working hard to gather all the facts and bring this matter to a positive conclusion."
A memorial in #Brighton honoring the victims murdered on October 7, 2023, in Israel by Hamas has been completely destroyed by this man. Vandalism at its worst—disrespecting the memory of the innocent lives lost.@CrimeLdn #Israel pic.twitter.com/FTbPlbTHPl
— Sussex News - Breaking news for Sussex (@SussexIncidents) October 6, 2024
The memorial, in Hove's Palmeira Square, had stood undamaged for months - but on the eve of the attacks' first anniversary, footage emerged of an apparent act of vandalism in broad daylight.
In the video, shared by local news outlet Sussex News, a man - wearing a tan jacket and trousers, black cap and white Nike trainers - can be seen throwing flowers, plants and the main memorial placard into a bush nearby.
Horrified onlookers can be heard asking: "What the f**k?... Why? What the f**k is wrong with him?" and gasping as he continues to strew objects across the grass.
A bystander then approaches the man, shouting "Oi, oi!" and managing to distract him from his apparent vandalism.
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The memorial stands in Hove's Palmeira Square
The two can be seen gesturing to the memorial - though it's unclear what is being said - before the bystander shouts: "Go! Go! F**k off? Are you mad? Go!"
Further images shared by the outlet show the aftermath of the man's rampage at the memorial, with planters, flowers and the memorial sign paying tribute to the innocent victims of Hamas seen upturned in the square.
On social media, a member of the public said: "Assume Sussex Police will have him tracked down and suitably dealt with."
The force then confirmed that they're looking into the incident and are "treating it as a hate crime".
In a statement on Sunday evening, Sussex Police said: "We are aware of a video circulating online of a man damaging a Jewish memorial in Hove and are treating it as a hate crime.
"An investigation is underway and any information can be reported online or via 101, quoting reference 158 of 04/10."
Detective Superintendent Ben Newman said: "We were saddened to learn of this act of vandalism against a memorial that holds great significance for many people."
He added: "We understand the distress this may cause and are treating this incident as a hate crime."
On October 7 last year, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups surged into Israel from the Gaza Strip - killing thousands, injuring thousands more and taking hundreds hostage.
In the year since, Israel has been ruthless in its retaliatory assault on Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon.
But 97 hostages, as acknowledged in the memorial, still remain in Hamas's hands.
