Yahoo News Saddam Hussein plaque bizarrely appears on bench on busy London high street
A plaque dedicated to the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has bizarrely appeared on a bench on a busy east London high street.
The bronze tribute to Hussein, who was hanged in 2006 after almost 25 years of running a brutal regime in the Middle East country, was recently left on a bench in Wanstead High Street.
It reads “In Loving Memory of Saddam Hussein, 1937-2006”.
The dedication has caused outrage among some local residents, while others have concluded that it must be a poor joke.
A spokeswoman for Redbridge Council has since said the unapproved plaque has now been removed.
Local resident and journalist Victoria Richards posted a photo of the plaque on Twitter on Monday.
“So this has just appeared on a bench on my local high street,” she wrote.
Speaking to the Standard, she said: “Although at first I was tempted to laugh it off as someone’s attempt at a sick joke, the more I’ve thought about it, the less funny it has become.
“Reactions to the plaque online have ranged from amusement to anger to devastation and horror.
"Saddam Hussein was a despot, responsible for untold bloodshed and the slow destruction of Iraq.
“It’s tempting to forget who he was, and what he did - but his victims, and the families of his victims, will never forget. They won’t be laughing over this.
"I wonder if there was another plaque there before this, and how the family feels about their loved one’s dedication being removed to make room for a political poke, if that’s what this is?
“Either way, I’d love to know more about the prankster’s motivation. It’s obviously been well thought out - but it’s undoubtedly very bad taste.”
A spokeswoman for Redbridge Council said: "We didn’t give permission for this to be put up and it has been removed.”
