19 February 2024 , 21:08
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The Metropolitan Police has said it's "making enquiries" over a photo which shows a statue of Amy Winehouse with "a pro-Palestinian sticker" over a Star of David necklace.
The statue in Camden Market was unveiled by her parents in 2014 and it has remained at that location in the decade since then. It was introduced as a tribute to the late singer-songwriter, who lived in Camden prior to her death in 2011.
A photo that's been circulating on social media shows a Star of David necklace on the memorial covered by a sticker. It appears to depict the Palestinian flag and has prompted debate amid the conflict involving Israel and Palestine. A member of the public is said to have placed the sticker.
A statue of Amy Winehouse was unveiled at Camden Market in 2014 (FilmMagic)
It's a tribute to the late singer-songwriter, who had lived in Camden prior to her death in 2011 (Getty Images)The circumstances of the incident are yet to be confirmed by police, though it's led to concerns that it was an act of antisemitism. A number of people have condemned the incident in posts on X, which was formerly known as Twitter, and some have shared the photo on the platform today.
One person wrote: "The [statue] has stood undisturbed and respected for years. It has her Star of David necklace out and proud. Until today when a pro-Palestinian defaced her Jewishness with a sticker. This is GROSS antisemitism."
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Someone else tweeted recently: "Defacing a statue of the late [Amy] because she wore a Jewish star necklace is truly disgusting. If you can't stand to look at a symbol of Judaism on a memorial for a Jewish singer because of your dislike for the Israeli government, perhaps the antisemitism and Israel thing is more connected than you think…"
Whilst another person said: "Ahh yes because [Amy] and her Star of David necklace really have an affect on what's going on in Palestine! So disrespectful to Amy's memory, and just purely antisemitic. Being Jewish and outwardly showing Jewishness does not mean support of Israel just fyi."
Others described it as "vile," "outrageous" and "abhorrent vandalism". Someone else commented recently: "What Israel is doing in Gaza is indefensible. So is this. Defacing the statue of a dead singer because of a religious symbol?"
Seemingly disagreeing with the consensus on the platform, there's also been some speculation that it may not have been a "pro-Palestine" act. One person suggested that it "could easily be a red herring" and someone else suggested that it may have been an attempt to create "chaos".
Amid debate over the ongoing conflict, it's been suggested that the sticker was a "distraction". Someone wrote: "[It's being made] such a big deal to distract from the actual genocide." Another person wrote: "It's a sticker. It can be, and was, quickly and easily rectified. [...] You know what can't be easily rectified? [Deaths of children in Palestine]."
Camden Market posted about the incident earlier, tweeting that it had made the police aware. It said: "This morning we were made aware that a member of the public had placed a sticker over the Star of David necklace on the Amy Winehouse statue in the North Yard of Camden Market."
The retail outlet's post continued: "This was removed immediately, and the incident was reported to the police. Camden Market remains first and foremost, a place of diversity - a global destination that welcomes everyone. Any form of discrimination on our estate will not be tolerated."
Whilst a spokesperson for Scotland Yard told the Mirror in a statement shared earlier this afternoon: "We are aware of an image being shared on social media which shows the statue of Amy Winehouse in Camden Market with a pro-Palestinian sticker placed over the Star of David."
"We know this will have caused upset to many people. We are making enquiries with Camden Market to establish the circumstances and what evidence, such as CCTV footage, may be available," the spokesperson further commented.
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