A protester has poured human waste over a memorial to Captain Sir Tom Moore as part of a campaign against the use of private jets in the UK. Maddie Budd, 21, who is a former medical student from Wales, poured faeces and urine over the statue of the late British Army Officer, in Thistley Meadow, in Hatton, Derbyshire.
A video of the incident was posted on campaign group End UK Private Jets' social media pages. The organisation protests against what it describes as luxurious and unnecessary carbon emissions, focusing on the use of private jets in the UK, DerbyshireLive reports.
Sir Tom became a well-known figure after raising £38 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday at the height of the first national Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020.
Speaking about her protest, Maddie said: "People are going to say that he's a hero, people are going to say that this is profoundly, obscenely disrespectful to his life, and to the NHS he stood up for and I agree.
"I was studying to become a doctor because I believe in taking care of people. If we believe that the NHS is important, if we believe in taking care of each other, if we believe that NHS workers are doing essential work, why are forcing our healthcare system into collapse, why are we forcing our civilisation into collapse, why is basically no-one taking this genocide of all humanity seriously?
"All of this is true and the Government won't even End UK Private Jets, every time one takes off, it pours a bucket of sh*t and blood onto everything that Captain Tom stood for".
People on social media have reacted with anger. Lisa Padley said: "Wow, your parents must be so proud!! My brother and his company put their heart and soul into making this memorial and no amount of s*** will stop him standing proud!!"
Ben Buse said: "I hear what your saying but this feels wrong, hurtful to Captain Tom's family." Endee said: "How this has anything to do with ending private jet use is beyond me. I hope justice is served."
Captain Tom Moore was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle in July 2020 and he received over 150,000 cards on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Captain Sir Tom Moore died on February 2, 2021, at Bedford Hospital.
