Ulster Unionist Councillor Richard Holmes has condemned the destruction of a Poppy wreath at Garvagh War Memorial in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and called for anyone with information to get in touch with the PSNI.
Councillor Richard Holmes said:
“The desecration of a Poppy wreath laid by the Orange Order at the Garvagh War Memorial is another reminder that there is an element in our society determined to deny us the opportunity to live in peace.
“The PSNI have rightly labelled this incident a hate crime. It follows only a few weeks after a graffiti attack on St Anne’s Catholic Church in nearby Kilrea and it is deeply disturbing that some people get a kick out of deliberately causing offence to others.
“Attacks on wreaths and war memorials has been an ongoing problem in recent years as we have seen at Teebane and Narrow Water.
“The poppy wreath that was the subject of the attack in Garvagh was laid by the Orange Order in memory of all the Fallen. The total lack of understanding and ignorance displayed so publicly by a small section of our community, that bullets on the battlefields of Europe and other theatres of war did not distinguish between any religions is hard to fathom.
“The PSNI are appealing to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area to contact police in Limavady on 101, quoting reference number 616 of 23/07/19.”