7 October memorial group responds to new Brighton & Hove Council tribute crackdown

Council leaders in Brighton & Hove have been accused of singling out the only Jewish vigil in the city while debating strict policy changes on memorials.

On Tuesday 24 March, the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss limiting items like benches and plaques, claiming it sought “to ensure greater clarity going forward”.

Under the proposals, temporary memorials such as floral tributes could remain in place for up to 14 days, while applications would be made for other items, with the process normally taking eight weeks.

Whilst it was not explicitly named, the council’s presentation heavily featured images of the 7/10 memorial at Palmeira Square set up in the wake of the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, and notably identifiable by its yellow ribbons.

The memorial operated as a well-known hub for nightly services as the local Jewish community struggled with the horror of the massacre and campaigned for the release of the hostages still held. As antisemitism in the city tripled, the memorial was subsequently targeted by violence and vandalised more than fifty times, while only one person, Fiona Monro, has so far convicted for targeting it.

The committee are suggesting that items such as “tables, vases, trinkets, stones, gazebos, books, and ribbons” are cited as not allowed under the proposed new policy – all items that have been left in tribute at Palmeira Square.

These would be removed after 14 days, or if they overspilt the “capacity” of the site or posed a threat to public health and safety.

“Items considered by senior executives to be political, divisive or offensive will be removed immediately,” the meeting’s report said, whilst benches could remain in place for a minimum of five years and tree donations be managed through the Tree Trust Fund. Any proposals for commemorative memorials would require a 20-year wait to ensure future historical relevance.

During the meeting, local Labour party councillor Ty Goddard expressed his concerns for how “humane and human” the proposed policy was, whilst Mark Strong, a Green party member who is a volunteer co-optee on the committee, noted: “It’s not really being said but I assume a lot of this has been catalysed by what happened at Palmeira Square.

“As a Jewish person with relatives in Israel, I think without acknowledging that that memorial was incredibly meaningful to a lot of people who lost relatives, including local people, living locally, who had relatives killed by terrorists on that date, I think it’s slightly disingenuous to not refer to this. Maybe it’s a coincidence that it happened after that day. The photos are there but it’s not mentioned. You need to recognise people’s really strong feelings to commemorate.”

In a statement, Heidi Bachram, co-organiser of the Palmeira Memorial Group, wrote: “This new policy feels aimed directly at the Jewish community. At a time when this small minority is under huge pressure, targeting our memorial is deeply irresponsible.

“We just wanted to grieve for our loved ones and it was really important to do that publicly as the Jewish community was being pushed behind fences and gates. The hate this tiny memorial suffered exposes just how big a problem this city has. That the Council has constructed a whole policy using images of our one place of remembrance is appalling. This community needs solidarity not singling out.

“The Chief Rabbi, leaders of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and many other dignitaries visited the 7/10 memorial. Victims’ families gave emotional and moving tributes and it became the focus for local, national and international mourning. Many local residents had relatives murdered and kidnapped during the attacks, including my own, and the memorial was a huge source of comfort and support. I am shocked that the Council would act in such a hostile way towards it.”

Writing on social media with screenshots of the slides used at the presentation, Bachram added: “This is a thinly veiled attempt to erase Jewish grief from the public space.” She later noted that the council motion “include[s] a diversity clause in the policy for memorials of historically underrepresented groups. Except for Jews.”

Adam Ma’anit, whose cousin Tsachi Idan (49) was kidnapped and murdered in captivity and his daughter Ma’ayan (18) murdered in the attacks said: “October 7 was the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. In Brighton, almost every member of our community was touched by the loss of family or friends.

“Our memorial brought Jews and non-Jews together in shared grief and solidarity. It’s been incredibly moving and profound for all of us involved. Now, one day after a shocking arson attack on a Jewish charity in London, the Council’s moves to bureaucratise a very human act of grief and comfort risks deepening our pain and makes them appear callous and cruel.”

Responding to Jewish News, Councillor Jacob Allen, cabinet member for customer services and public realm said: “When residents are going through grief and bereavement, the last thing anyone needs is confusion about what to do when they want to mark a loved one’s memory.

“At the moment, there is no single, clear process for how memorials are managed, which can leave people facing difficult decisions at an already distressing time and put officers in challenging positions about when to step in.

“It’s standard local authority practice and used at other councils including Southampton, East Sussex County Council and Surrey County Council.

“This is an emotive issue, which is why it was essential for the draft policy to be considered through the cross-party scrutiny process to ensure its sensitive and well-thought through before being agreed. By setting out how temporary tributes, longer term memorials and public gatherings are managed, we can support grieving families while keeping public spaces safe, respectful and accessible.

“I hope this clearer approach eases pressure on residents and gives officers the consistency they need to handle sensitive requests fairly and with care.”