Palestine Action Supporter Sprays 'Zionist War Criminal' Graffiti On Churchill Statue

In the early hours of Friday 27 February 2026, the bronze statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, Westminster, was spray-painted with red pro-Palestinian slogans including "Zionist war criminal", "Stop the Genocide", "Free Palestine", "Never again is Now" and "Globalise the Intifada."

“UK police arrest man after Churchill statue sprayed with graffiti | National | news-shield”

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Police arrived quickly and arrested a 38-year-old man who remained in custody.

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Authorities described the incident as racially aggravated criminal damage.

Authorities reported cleaning crews removing the paint.

A Dutch activist and a group claimed responsibility for the stunt.

Footage and social-media posts linked the action to Free the Filton 24.

BBC

The footage showed a man in red coveralls marked "I support Palestine Action" painting the statue.

One individual using the name Olax Outis said he carried out the act.

Campaigners and groups associated with Palestine Action and related activists were referenced in multiple reports.

Police statements and subsequent reporting set out legal steps taken.

“- Published A man has been charged with criminal damage after graffiti was sprayed on the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, police have said”

BBC

The arrested man — later named in some outlets as Caspar San Giorgio — was held on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage and on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action, a group proscribed under the UK Terrorism Act.

Some outlets reported he was charged with criminal damage and remanded for court.

Officers said they were on scene within minutes, the monument was cordoned off, and cleaning began.

The Greater London Authority and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office called the act abhorrent and welcomed the arrest.

Conservative figures and broadcasters described the stunt as 'disgusting' or 'an attack on the country's culture and history'.

Cornwall Live

The responses reflected strong cross-party criticism.

Observers and several reports placed the incident in the broader context of recurrent targeting of the Churchill statue and intensified legal protection.

The monument has been a protest focal point for decades, including during 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Evrim Ağacı

The government strengthened protections in 2025, making climbing the monument a specific criminal offence.

The episode has been framed as likely to reignite debates over the limits of protest, historic memory and allegations about Churchill's imperial legacy and support for Zionism.