Public invited to 'show of unity' event in Morecambe against Nazi graffiti on war memorial

Members of the public are invited to attend between 1-3pm to express their thoughts and feelings about the vandalism.

Organiser Anthony Padgett has written a ‘unity statement’ which has already been signed by some of the town’s political, religious, trade union and arts leaders.

At 3pm the book will be temporarily placed at the war memorial in memory of those who fought in World War Two, whose sacrifice will never be forgotten.

People can also bring flowers with personal messages. There will be music from the 1940s and short speeches too.

"This graffiti has shocked and saddened our community. It was a very public statement that needs a public response,” said Mr Padgett, a Morecambe-based Jewish artist who has created artworks at Auschwitz and Schindler’s factory in Poland.

“This is an opportunity for people of the town to have a say and an expression of support against the graffiti. The graffiti may or may not show a larger problem – but we can't afford to ignore it.”

The unity event will follow protests against fascism in Preston on Saturday.

“It’s a problem already for the region and the sooner we make Morecambe a no-go area for Nazism the better,” Mr Padgett said.

“It’s important to make a stand at the start of the problem, not when it’s too late. After all, it was not just a wall, it was the war memorial."