CCTV stills show a bearded man dressed in black. The attack took place in the early hours of Sunday, reports Marco Marcelline
Police have released CCTV stills of a man believed to have attacked Labour candidate’s Stella Creasy’s office with a hammer over the weekend.
In stills shared on X/Twitter by local police yesterday (23rd June), a bearded man is seen wearing a black hoodie with black gloves while holding a poster with green spray-paint on it.
It is unclear what the poster says, though the Telegraph reported that graffiti was scrawled near the office which read, “f*** your weasel words this is genocide. Labour child bombing liars. 2001, 2003, 2024.”
Images shared by Creasy on social media show damage to the the front door windowpane of her Orford Road office as well as one of the front windows smashed.
The attack took place between 3.10am and 3.30am yesterday morning (23rd June).
In a defiant online message to the perpetrator of the attack yesterday, the Labour and Co-operative Party MP said the “anti-democratic” attack did not “intimidate” her.
In a later video posted to social media, she said: “I’ve always tried to make myself directly accountable on incredibly sensitive issues…including the situation in Israel and Palestine.
What I will not do is give an inch to those people who do not care for democratic process and use violence, intimidation, and harassment to try and express themselves and make it unsafe to anybody to take part in our politics.”
She also stressed her voting record on the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling it “extremely clear”. Creasy said: “I have consistently voted for a ceasefire at every opportunity. I voted for Palestinian statehood to be recognised in 2014. I’ve always supported it, I continue to support it.
I’ve challenged the UK government on arms sales and upholding international law and the role of the international criminal court. I’ve advocated for the families of hostage victims and for those with family in Gaza and the need for a visa scheme. I’ve always supported a two-state solution.”
The incident marks the second time that a political office in Waltham Forest has been vandalised during the election campaign.
Earlier this month, graffiti was sprayed onto the Chingford and Woodford Green Labour Party office shortly after the deselection of Faiza Shaheen by Labour.
The graffiti, which read, “Israel lobby out…work 4 us” and “UK MPs for UK not Israel”, was condemned by politicians across the political divide, including by Creasy.
She had written on X: “Any candidate worth voting for should want to win by the power of our ideas and clarity of organisation, not through feeding off the culture of intimidation and division being stoked in our nation.”
The tweet was seized by left-wing political commentator Owen Jones who accused the MP of a “vile smear” directed at Shaheen, who was deselected in part due to liking a sketch by the American comedian Jon Stewart which referenced the Israel lobby.
In a statement to the Echo, Creasy said her commentary was directed at “all candidates” rather than “any one” of them.
Anyone with information related to this incident is advised to contact the police on 101 with the reference 2621/23 or call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111
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