The main war memorial in Edinburgh, Scotland, was set on fire within 24 hours of its having been the centrepiece of the nation’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations for the fallen.
Video footage of the aftermath of the apparent attack shows it left the Stone of Remembrance, which rests in front of the City Chambers on the Royal Mile, the historic and touristic heart of the Scottish capital, charred, and a large number of poppy wreaths laid on it to commemorate the fallen reduced to ashes.
“Yesterday it was my honour to lay a wreath on behalf of the City of Edinburgh to remember those who served and sacrificed so much,” commented Robert Aldridge, the Lord Provost — the Scottish equivalent of a Lord Mayor — of Edinburgh.
“The vandalism discovered this morning not only to the recently laid wreaths but also Edinburgh’s Stone of Remembrance is disgusting and disrespectful,” he lamented.
“We remain at a loss for the reasons someone could do something like this which has caused a lot of upset for everyone who respects the memories of all who serve their country. We have reported this to the police and would urge anyone who knows anything about what happened to contact them.”
For the police, Chief Inspector Murray Tait confirmed that “enquiries are ongoing after poppy wreaths were set on fire at the war memorial in High Street, Edinburgh around 5 a.m. on Monday, November 14.”
“Officers are carrying out enquiries and gathering CCTV footage to find out more information on whoever is responsible. I utterly condemn this appalling act of vandalism, especially at this time of year when remembrance services have just been held across the country,” he added.
@auldedinburgh Someone set fire to Edinburghs War Memorial #foryou #fyp #edinburgh #scotland #scottish #remembranceday #remembrancesunday #viral
Some appear to believe Edinburgh’s local government could itself bear some responsibility for the Stone of Remembrance being vandalised, however.
“Edinburgh war memorial torched 17 days after council apologises for colonialism,” remarked Robert Poll of the Save Our Statues campaign.
“Is this surprising if [Edinburgh Council] encourages people to feel ashamed of their history and soldiers? Their divisive and (literally) inflammatory rhetoric has consequences,” he claimed.
While the actual circumstances of the fire and the motivations for an attack are in fact unconfirmed, war memorials and statues of historic Britons have been targeted in recent years by leftist activist, often linked to Black Lives Matter and other racial justice movements who believe Britain is a historically destructive force.
Most notably, would-be arsonist Astrophel Sang scaled the Cenotaph, the iconic memorial to the Glorious Dead across Britain, the British Empire, and Commonwealth in London, during the BLM disorder of 2020, attempting to light the national flag adorning it on fire under the gaze of largely passive police officers.
Sang was let off by a judge with a mere condition discharge for the crime — far more lenient treatment than was meted out to people who showed up to defend statues and memorials during the same period.
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