Amy Winehouse statue's Star of David covered with pro-Palestine sticker
Police are investigating after the star of David necklace on the statue of Amy Winehouse in Camden was covered over with a pro-Palestinian sticker.
The monument to the singer, who was Jewish, was unveiled in 2014 three years after her death and stands in Stables Market near where she lived in the last years of her life.
Writing on social media site X, Heidi Bachram said: “The Amy Winehouse statue has stood undisturbed and respected for years. It has her Star of David necklace out and proud. Until today when a pro-Palestinian defaced her Jewishness with a sticker. This is GROSS antisemitism.”
The Amy Winehouse statue has stood undisturbed and respected for years. It has her Star of David necklace out and proud. Until today when a pro-Palestinian defaced her Jewishness with a sticker. This is GROSS antisemitism. Please remedy this @CamdenMarket now.
h/t @EtanSmallman pic.twitter.com/2wCr8QwwSV— Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) February 19, 2024
She added: “Whoever defaced the Amy Winehouse statue did it with the intention to cover up her Jewishness. They didn’t put it on her top. They put it over her Star of David.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism confirmed the sticker had been removed, saying: “Covering the Star of David, a well-known symbol of Judaism, on the statue of a British Jewish singer, with a sticker of the Palestinian Authority flag is antisemitic.
“So much for the 'this is just criticism of Israel' excuse we hear so often fromantisemites who are too cowardly or ignorant to admit what they are.
“Right now, 69% of British Jews say that they are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism right now. When even a statue of a Jewish person can't get away with it, is that any surprise?”
A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: “We are aware of an image being shared on social media which shows the statue of Amy Winehouse in Camden Market with a pro-Palestinian sticker place over the Star of David.
"We know this will have caused upset to many people.
"We are making enquiries with Camden Market to establish the circumstances and what evidence, such as CCTV footage, may be available."
Winehouse, whose life is currently being made in a film, died aged 27 with the cause of death revealed to be accidental alcohol poisoning.
She had openly struggled with addiction, frequently turning to heroin, cocaine and other class A substances.
The singer, who won six Grammy awards in her short career, was born in north London to a Jewish family with roots in the East End.
In 2013, the London Jewish Museum put on an exhibtion in its then-home in Camden called Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait which was co-curated by her family and included memorabila from her life and career.
The new film following her rise to fame is called Back To Black and is set to come out this year with Marisa Abela playing the star.
It also stars Lesley Manville, Eddie Marsan and Jack O’Connell – and has the backing of Winehouse’s estate.