Essex Police arrested a man on Friday after a TikTok video showed someone spitting on a statue honoring British lawmaker Sir David Amess, who was murdered in 2021.
A pro-Palestinian activist was arrested on Friday after posting a video on TikTok showing someone spitting on a statue of murdered British lawmaker David Amess, according to multiple news outlets.
Essex Police said they arrested a man in his 30s in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday after receiving a report about the video on Wednesday and launching an investigation.
The BBC reported that police questioned the man on suspicion of criminal damage and a public order offense, and he remained in custody.
In the now-deleted TikTok video, a person was seen approaching the statue and saying, “These people were just bowing to this p----.He voted for the Iraq War. Shame.”
A second clip showed a person pointing at the monument and saying “shame” before spitting in the statue's face.
The TikTok user, who goes by the name "Angry Jesus," initially denied being the person in the footage.
“It wasn’t me who spat on Sir David. But if I catch the person who did it, I’ll… #grrrrrr,” he wrote in the video's caption, The Telegraph reported.
The Telegraph added that other videos posted to the account featured criticism of Israel and expressed pro-Palestinian views.
British MP murdered in 2021 terrorist attack
Amess, from former prime minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, was murdered in 2021 by Ali Harbi Ali, the son of a former media adviser to a Somali prime minister. Police classified the killing as a terrorist attack.
A spokesperson for the Amess family condemned the video, saying, "To see his memorial treated in this way is deeply upsetting," according to the BBC.
Dame Priti Patel, the MP for Witham and former UK home secretary, also condemned the footage in a post on X/Twitter, calling on Essex Police to investigate the “disgusting and offensive act” after the video was posted on social media on Tuesday.
“Sir David was respectful, kind and a powerful advocate for free speech and expression. He always debated political differences with dignity.
“To disrespect his life and legacy in this way is dreadful.”