Graffiti scratched into Cenotaph

VANDALISED: The restored Gisborne Cenotaph has suffered some graffiti damage that has disappointed and saddened the Gisborne District Council staff who found it, and angered the RSA. File picture

VANDALS have scratched graffiti on to the restored Gisborne Cenotaph and the RSA has described the damage as a “disgrace”.

The damage was discovered yesterday by a Gisborne District Council staff member who had gone to take photographs of the monument to be forwarded to the Lottery Grants Board.

“It was a sad thing to find,” she said.

The graffiti involves scratching letters on to a leg of one of the marble lions that guard the memorial, and also on to the marble panels.

“The letters scratched on the lion are pretty deep and there are also some more lightly scratched marks,” the council staff member said.

“There are other smaller marks on other parts of the memorial.”

The Lotteries Grants Board provided $617,000 towards the total $1 million restoration of the memorial to the district’s war dead after it was damaged in the 2007 earthquake.

RSA president Ben Tahata said it was “disgraceful behaviour.”

“To think we have people in our community who do things like this against the historical significance and everything that memorial represents and commemorates.

“The Cenotaph represents all the freedom that we all have received from those who served and who are commemorated there,” Mr Tahata.

“It’s a terrible disgrace and it does make you angry when you hear this sort of thing. We do not expect or want this sort of thing happening in our community.”

Mayor Meng Foon has been to the Cenotaph to view the damage.

“It is very disappointing, as so much good will and money has been spent to honour our district’s soldiers, men and women.

“It is time to seek funding for a camera for that area and change the street lights to LED to brighten it at night,” he said.

The council will immediately look at the options to repair the damage.