Muswell Hill street named after Nelson Mandela defaced with graffiti

Graffiti defacing a Muswell Hill street named after Nelson Mandela has been removed.

The name of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was painted over on the street sign for Nelson Mandela Close, which commemorates the former South African president.

The graffiti was reported by Highgate resident Natan Doron on Tuesday, October 6 and two days later it had been removed by Haringey Council officers.

Haringey mayor Adam Jogee (Labour, Hornsey) said: “We don’t yet know the motive but what we do know is that any action that seeks to undermine or insult or attack people like Nelson Mandela requires us to come out and call it out.

“In Black History Month it’s a stark reminder of how much has happened before and how much we have to do.

“It is also a call to action for all of us to remember and acknowledge the contributions that Black people have made for our world, but also the fight for freedom and democracy that is still so important today.”

Cllr Mark Blake, Haringey Council’s communities chief, said: “There is simply no place for any kind of racism, and we stand against all forms of hate speech. It will not be tolerated in Haringey.

“We take this incident extremely seriously and have taken immediate action to remove the graffiti.

“We are proud of the multi-ethnic groups we have across the borough and stand united against anyone who looks to attack us.”