Bastards

Desecration of a War Memorial is bad under any circumstances, but this despicable act required serious effort on the part of the vandals:

Vandals destroyed part of the provincial cenotaph located on land between King, Queen, and Church streets.

"My heart is broken," said Jean-Guy Perrault, president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 4. "This is a time when veterans, legion members and families are supposed to stand around the cenotaph to honour those who sacrificed their lives for this country.

"Instead, people will be shaking their heads in disbelief that someone could do such a thing."

A soldier's helmet and gun, representing those who died in past wars, usually sit on a six-foot granite cross on the side of the monument facing Queen Street.

That piece of the cenotaph will be missing at the city's Remembrance Day ceremony Wednesday.

Over the weekend, someone pushed the large cross over, breaking it into several pieces.

[...]

Const. Ralph Currie of the Fredericton Police Force said the cross, which was attached to the east side of the cenotaph, was repaired two years ago because it was loose.

He said a metal rod was installed in the base of the cross to ensure it wouldn't fall and couldn't be pushed down.

"The suspect or suspects would've had to use a considerable amount of force to knock it down," Currie said. "It's a horrendous crime, especially since it's a provincially designated war memorial. It will likely take several thousand dollars to repair.

Posted by damian at November 10, 2009 08:13 AM