Man arrested after Churchill statue in London defaced with ‘Zionist war criminal’ graffiti
A man has been arrested after a statue of Sir Winston Churchill in central London was vandalized with pro-Palestinian graffiti.
The words “Free Palestine”, “Zionist war criminal” and “Globalize the Intifada” were written in red paint on the bronze statue in Parliament Square, Westminster.
The words “Never again” and “Stop the genocide” were written on the monument.
A 38-year-old man who sprayed graffiti on the statue shortly after 4am on Friday was remanded in custody after being arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage, the Met Police said.
The statue was cordoned off and was being cleared Friday morning.
The statue has been a target of protesters in the past and was also vandalized during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and climbed on by trans activists during demonstrations last year.
Last summer, climbing Churchill’s statue became a crime when the government announced offenders could face up to three months in prison and a £1,000 fine for desecrating the former prime minister’s monument.
The statue has been added to the list of protected monuments, including the Cenotaph in Whitehall and the Royal Artillery Memorial.
Last December, both the Metropolitan Police and Manchester Police announced that anyone chanting the controversial slogan “globalise the intifada” would be arrested.
The decision by the two police forces follows the terror attack on Bondi Beach and the terrorist attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on 2 October.
Speaking about today’s arrest, a Met Police spokesman said: “Shortly after 4am on Friday, February 27, a man was seen spraying graffiti on the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square.
“The first police officers arrived at the scene within two minutes. The 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage.
“He remains in custody.”
The 12ft statue of the Second World War leader was unveiled in Westminster Square by his widow Clementine in 1973, eight years after her husband’s death. Queen Elizabeth II attended the ceremony. Elizabeth and the Queen Mother attended.
It is understood that Churchill personally chose the location of the statue when the redevelopment of Parliament Square was approved in the 1950s.
