A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage after the iconic statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, Westminster, was defaced with graffiti early on Friday morning. The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers were on the scene within two minutes of receiving reports shortly after 4am on February 27.
Graffiti Details and Police Response
The bronze sculpture, a prominent landmark in central London, was sprayed with red paint bearing phrases including "Zionist war criminal," "Stop the Genocide," "Free Palestine," "Never again is Now," and "Globalise the Intifada." A Met spokesperson stated the man was seen spraying the graffiti and was promptly arrested, remaining in custody as investigations continue.
Group Claims Responsibility
Dutch activist group Free the Filton 24 claimed responsibility for the action, posting a video on Instagram showing a man in red coveralls with "I support Palestine Action" written on the back. The group defines itself as supporters of 24 Palestine Action activists charged over a 2024 break-in at a UK site of Israeli defence firm Elbit.
Olax Outis, who identified himself as Dutch and part of the group, claimed to be the individual on the statue. In a statement, he said the defacement aimed to "draw attention to the horrible human rights violations happening in a country that's run by colonisers who refuse to listen to their people." He added that the British government should face the International Court of Justice and described Churchill as "a symbol of the same political corruption."
Clean-Up and Official Reactions
The statue was cordoned off and cleaning operations began on Friday morning. A Greater London Authority spokesperson expressed being "appalled by this vandalism" and confirmed work was underway to remove the graffiti swiftly. This incident adds to a history of vandalism targeting the Churchill statue, including during Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020 and an Extinction Rebellion action in October that year, where activists were fined for similar damage.
Historical Context and Security Measures
The 12-foot monument, created by Ivor Roberts-Jones and unveiled in 1973 by Lady Clementine Churchill, is one of 12 statues in Parliament Square honouring figures like Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela. In December, the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police announced that chanting "globalise the intifada" could lead to arrest, following terror attacks in Australia and Manchester.
This latest act of vandalism underscores ongoing tensions and the symbolic role of public monuments in political discourse, with authorities emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to such criminal damage in the heart of London.
