A memorial in Brighton, southeastern England, honoring the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, has been vandalized. Photo: Screenshot

A Jewish memorial in Brighton, southeastern England, dedicated to the victims of the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has been vandalized once again — one of more than 40 attacks on the site since it was first established.

On Wednesday afternoon, the memorial — which is located in Palmeira Square, in the coastal city of Brighton and Hove — was found badly defaced, with pages displaying victims’ photographs ripped from a folder and strewn across the pavement.

Members of the local Jewish community, who created and maintain the memorial, believe the vandalism occurred in broad daylight between 1 pm and 3.30 pm. They are now urging anyone with information to come forward.

Sussex County Police have confirmed that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.

“They threw the images of murdered children around like they were nothing. Evil unhinged,” Heidi Bachram, one of the volunteers who helps run the memorial, told the Jewish Chronicle. “There have been over 40 attacks on the site including vandalism, theft, and graffiti. The abuse has been relentless.”

“The memorial is not a political place. We simply mourn the murdered. We tell their stories,” Bachram continued. “It’s shocking that grief for innocents is met with such violence. The hate won’t stop us, and every night, a different victim’s story will be told [at the memorial]. We will never let them be forgotten.”

A psychopath has utterly DESTROYED our 7/10 memorial in Brighton AGAIN. Over forty times it has been attacked. The last pro-Pal who did it on camera got away with it, so I’m not surprised. I guess the release of a hostage upset the NASTY bullies. Our dead should not be a target. pic.twitter.com/lg2aNe4H0M

— Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) May 14, 2025

In less than a day, more than £1,500 has been raised and contributed to the ongoing GoFundMe campaign set up by the local Jewish community to help maintain the site and fund the development of a permanent memorial.

Following the Oct. 7 onslaught, Brighton’s Jewish community has held a daily vigil beside the memorial, honoring one of the approximately 1,200 victims or 251 hostages each evening.

After Sussex Police were called and attendees reconstructed the memorial, the community held Wednesday’s vigil honoring 88-year-old Chana Kritzman, who was critically injured by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 during her evacuation from Kibbutz Be’eri and died two weeks later in hospital.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the leading representative body of the UK’s Jewish communities, strongly condemned the latest vandalism, saying they were “appalled and heartbroken” by the incident.

“We stand in solidarity with the Brighton & Hove Jewish community who have been unwavering in their commitment to hold a public service every single day dedicated to a different victim of the massacre,” the group said in a statement.

“We urge the authorities to investigate this incident fully and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the board continued.

We are appalled and heartbroken by the news that the memorial in Brighton to the victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks has been vandalised. pic.twitter.com/Rgz7kOGfCL

— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) May 16, 2025

The United Kingdom has experienced a surge in antisemitic crimes following the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s attack on Israel, amid the ensuing war in Gaza.

In February, the Community Security Trust (CST), a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters, released data showing the UK experienced its second worst year for antisemitism in 2024, despite recording an 18 percent drop in antisemitic incidents from the previous year’s all-time high.

According to CST, there have been 3,528 antisemitic incidents reported in 2024, a decrease from the 4,296 incidents recorded in 2023. In previous years, the numbers were significantly lower, with 1,662 incidents in 2022 and 2,261 hate crimes in 2021. These incidents include 201 physical assaults, 157 cases of damage to Jewish property, and 250 direct threats.