Three teenagers have been spared jail time after pleading guilty to vandalizing the Rochdale Cenotaph, a war memorial, by spray-painting the words ‘Free Palestine’ and draping a Palestinian flag over the structure. The incident occurred in November 2022. Despite initially denying the racially aggravated nature of their actions, the teens later changed their pleas and were sentenced to six-month referral orders, along with compensation and court costs. The Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the trial due to evidential reasons.