13 Jewish Graves Vandalized in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Thirteen Jewish graves were damaged as headstones were smashed and knocked over Friday at a municipal cemetery in West Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Police were called Friday afternoon to the scene, where smashed pieces of glass could be found atop overturned headstones.
Eight young people are said to have carried out the attack with hammers and blocks, with a larger crowd looking on, according to Northern Ireland Assembly member William Humphrey, Belfast Live reported.
Humphrey said he was “disgusted and appalled” at the vandalism, which the police is treating as a hate crime.
This isn’t the first incident of its kind in Belfast. In 2015, a memorial to a Christian Zionist officer was vandalized, and in 2014, windows at a local synagogue were smashed.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
