A temporary plaque commemorating a Black man who was hounded to his death by police officers has been vandalised hours after it was installed to replace a permanent memorial stolen the day before.
The laminated tribute to David Oluwale was installed on Wednesday after the original plaque was stolen on Monday just hours after being unveiled.
West Yorkshire Police said it is treating both incidents as hate crimes.
The original memorial was torn down from Leeds Bridge hours after it was unveiled in the West Yorkshire city’s centre, close to where Mr Oluwale died in the River Aire in 1969.
It read: “A British citizen, he came to Leeds from Nigeria in 1949 in search of a better life. Hounded to his death near Leeds Bridge, two policemen were imprisoned for their crimes.”
Responding to the vandalism, in which the temporary tribute was torn in two, Leeds Civic Trust tweeted: “Just heard reports that @Jonathan_Pryor and @abigailmashall lovely replacement plaque has been torn down…anyway you do you love, you won’t stop us!”
Deputy leader of Leeds City Council Jonathan Pryor said a second temporary plaque had been installed to replace the one that was destroyed and that the area was now under CCTV surveillance.
“We’ve been back to replace the temporary plaque for David Oluwale that was ripped down. (and we have plenty more where that came from.) CCTV is now overlooking the spot & in response to this removal we’re going to put the plaque on the screens on @millsqleeds and @LeedsMarkets,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Oluwale was born in Nigera in 1930 and moved to England in August 1949. Having hid on a cargo ship heading for Hull, the then-teenager was imprisoned for being a stowaway. Following his release, Mr Oluwale settled in Leeds and he worked in industries helping rebuild the post-war city.
In his final two years, Mr Oluwale became homeless in Leeds city centre, where he was hounded by police officers Insp Geoffrey Ellerker and Sgt Kenneth Kitching, who mentally and physically abused him on a regular basis.
He was chased by the officers towards the River Aire in the early hours of 18 April 1969. His body was found in the water two weeks later.
The officers were later jailed for a series of assaults relating to Mr Oluwale, becoming the first British police officers to be prosecuted for their involvement in the death of a Black person.
However, a jury was instructed not to convict them for manslaughter and equalities campaigners say the officers’ trial presented a deliberately negative portrait of Mr Oluwale as a “social nuisance”.
In March, the David Oluwale Bridge was installed over the River Aire in what the city council described as a “lasting reminder” of the importance of equality and inclusion.
Anyone with information relating to the theft and vandalism of these tributes is asked to contact Leeds District CID on 101, online via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
