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Man charged for vandalising Manchester Arena bombing memorial
The Glade of Light memorial opened last month
A man has been charged with criminal damage after the memorial to the Manchester Arena victims was vandalised.
Police were called out to the Glade of Light memorial, which opened next to Manchester Cathedral last month, on the morning on Wednesday February 9th after it was found with a number of scratches and marks.
The following day, the police confirmed that a twenty-four-year old man had been arrested on suspicion of vandalising the memorial.
Twenty-four-year-old Anwar Hosseni, of Twillbrook Drive, Salford, is due to appear at Salford Magistrates’ Court charged with criminal damage on March 23rd.
A spokesman said on the damage: “It is sickening that someone should do something like this but we know the perpetrator does not reflect Manchester as a whole and the city will not tolerate disrespect to the memorial.”
He added repairs would be made ‘as quickly as possible’.
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The Glade of Light memorial opened to the public last month, with its official unveiling set to take place in the spring ahead of the fifth anniversary of the attack.
On the white marble ‘halo’, the names of the twenty-two victims of the attack are engraved, while personalised ‘memory capsules’ with letters and messages written by the bereaved families are embedded beneath.
Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett who died in the 2017 attack, told Sky News at the time of its opening that her son would ‘love’ people to visit it.
“I think a memorial is really important after a huge event like the arena attack because it’s not just important for the people who died and the bereaved families.
“It’s important for the injured, for the people who have been psychologically damaged and for the people of Manchester because this is such a huge thing that happened in Manchester, it should never be forgotten.
“It’s also a place for future generations to come and remember, so that they are reminded of what happened that day, it’s part of the city’s history and it’s a really important memorial for that reason, and for all those reasons really.”