38-Year-Old Man Detained for Defacing Winston Churchill Statue with Graffiti

A 38-year-old individual has been arrested after the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square was vandalized with graffiti overnight.

The bronze statue located in Westminster was covered in red paint, featuring phrases such as "Zionist war criminal," "Stop the Genocide," and "Free Palestine." Other messages included "Never again is Now" and "Globalise the Intifada."

Metropolitan Police officials were notified shortly after 4 a.m. on Friday. The arrested individual is being held on charges of racially aggravated criminal damage.

A Dutch activist group identifying itself as Free the Filton 24 has claimed responsibility for this act. This organization consists of supporters and relatives of activists prosecuted following a break-in at a UK site associated with the Israeli defense firm Elbit in 2024.

A man known as Olax Outis identified himself as the perpetrator. In a social media statement, he indicated that the vandalism aimed to draw attention to what he called human rights violations and criticized the British government's position on the Israel-Gaza crisis.

He further stated that the statue was chosen, as Churchill symbolizes what he views as widespread political corruption.

On Friday morning, the statue was cordoned off as crews began cleaning up the defacement.

A representative from the Greater London Authority expressed condemnation of the act, stating that officials were "appalled" and were taking swift action to remove the graffiti.

Jewish community organizations also expressed their disapproval of the incident. The Jewish Leadership Council stated it was "disgusted" by the act, while the Board of Deputies of British Jews labeled the vandalism as offensive and deeply concerning.

The 12-foot statue, crafted by sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones and unveiled in 1973 by Lady Clementine Churchill, is situated among other significant global figures' statues in Parliament Square, which include Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln.

Churchill's statue has previously been the focal point of protests. In December, both the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police cautioned that chanting specific protest slogans associated with extremism could lead to arrests.

Investigations into this recent defacement are currently underway.