Sign of tetchy times ...Zulu war VC hero’s statue is vandalised
VANDALS have defaced an iconic statue of a Victorian army general with spray paint, it emerged yesterday.
An anarchist symbol and the word scum has been daubed on the statue of Sir Redvers Buller VC in Exeter.
It is not known when the vandalism took place but it is believed to have been some time over the past three days.
General Sir Redvers Buller, who won the Victoria Cross for rescuing two officers in a battle against Zulu tribesmen in 1879, is a divisive figure.
He led an operation in South Africa which went wrong and he had to withdraw under intense fire.
Some have alleged that he was also partly responsible for the creation of British concentration camps, in which thousands of people died.
It is not known if this is the reason for the graffiti being daubed on the statue.
One person commenting online wrote: “Disgusting, why do these idiots think this behaviour is OK? Why don’t we change history so it fits in with modern thinking and will appease these fools!”
Another wrote: “I am surprised whoever wrote it could even spell the word scum. Absolute muppet.”
But others disagreed. One commentator wrote: “Not sure a statue of Buller is entirely appropriate.
“Maybe it is time to replace him with someone who wasn’t an imperialist warmonger, and an incompetent one at that!”
Another added: “Very bad general, has a lot of blood on his hands. Still, should not deface.”
A third said: “The past is past we need to remember and learn our lesson. The statue may celebrate his battles but the citizens of Exeter loved him for his work at home. The Buller family clearly did a lot of good and that is easy to miss if you only have the inscriptions to go by.”
The statue was unveiled in 1905 after thousands of members of the public helped pay for it through subscriptions.