A man has been arrested after the memorial to murdered soldier Lee Rigby in southeast London was damaged.
Footage emerged online on Sunday of a topless man in black trousers and shoes being detained by police officers at Fusilier Rigby’s memorial.
A clip filmed from a car nearby appears to show the same man being arrested and jostling with cops as he is taken into a police van.
A caption on a photo of the scene claimed that a man damaged the memorial and then waited for the police to arrive and arrest them.
The man allegedly waited for police to arrive after damaging the memorial
Instagram (onlyforcessig)
Man arrested after ‘damage’ to murdered soldier Lee Rigby memorialInstagram (onlyforcessig)GB News has been unable to verify these claims, but the Metropolitan Police confirmed it had made an arrest.
In a statement, the force said: “We were alerted to damage caused at 1247hrs on 28 July.
“Officers attended and a man was arrested at the location. He has been taken to police custody.”
The Lee Rigby memorial tree is located on the corner of the street where he was murdered, moments from Woolwich garrison, the active military base where he was based.
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The Lee Rigby memorial tree is located on the corner of the street where he was murdered
Instagram (onlyforcessig)
Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were sentenced to life in prison after they drove into Fusilier Rigby, knocking him to the ground, before attempting to behead him in broad daylight with cleavers and knives in Woolwich in 2013.
Fusilier Rigby served with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers as a drummer and machine-gunner in Cyprus, Germany and a tour of Afghanistan.
At the time of his murder, Fusilier Rigby worked as a recruiter for the regiment at the Tower of London.
The barbaric murder by Adebolajo and Adebowale was captured on camera.
When Justice Sweeney sentenced them to life in 2014, he said that their views were a “betrayal of Islam,” but Adebowale shouted “that’s a lie” and Adebolajo loudly responded with “Allahu Akbar”.