By Owen Hughes
A statue of former prime minister David Lloyd George was covered in red paint and had slogans daubed on it in an incident linked to “Free Palestine” protests. The graffiti attack happened overnight on Monday at the site on Y Maes in the centre of Caernarfon and in the shadow of the town’s castle.
As well as covering the statue in paint there were messages like “Zionist”, “Free Palestine” and “Lloyd George is scum”. It has since been removed with Cyngor Gwynedd and North Wales Police investigating the incident.
Lloyd George, from Llanystumdwy, near Criccieth, is the only UK prime minister from Wales – holding the role from 1916-1922.
He was PM in 1917 when the Balfour Declaration statement was made by the British government, expressing support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. This was a pivotal moment in the creation of the state of Israel in 1947 after centuries of persecution for Jewish people around the world. Sign up for the North Wales Live newslettersent twice daily to your inbox
This has been followed by decades of conflict in the region and the most recent violence erupted when Palestinian militants attacked Israel, killing 1,143 people and taking around 250 hostages – triggering the Gaza war.
More than 56,500 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry. It has sparked worldwide condemnation and protests over Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict amid “genocide” accusations.
Caernarfon councillor Olaf Cai Larsen said: “It’s unfortunate that Lloyd George’s statue was painted with slogans overnight.
“Most of the slogans were about what is happening in Gaza at the moment – and anyone who reads this Facebook page often will know that I am very worried about all the killing that is happening there.
“But there are far better ways to express concern than defacing statues. For example a vigil is held at 6:30 every Sunday night on the Maes – a stone’s throw from the Lloyd George statue. And there was a very powerful ceremony on Pool Street last Tuesday.
“So – if you feel strongly about this important issue – how about Sunday evening?”
On social media one person said: “Why do people do this? It’s an historical figure. We cannot change history but we can learn from it. Times change, peoples mindsets change, it’s just the way life is.”
Another added: “Lloyd George’s Welsh roots are celebrated in in this statue particularly for his work on social reforms and Welsh disestablishment. Yet as a British imperial statesman, he made decisions that reinforced and extended imperial rule — often at the expense of local populations across the world.” Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone