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Churchill statue vandalised
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."
“The bronze statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, Westminster, was defaced overnight with red paint reading “Zionist war criminal” and other slogans including “Stop the Genocide,” “Free Palestine,” “Never again is Now” and “Globalise the Intifada.” A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage and remains in custody.”
Police arrived quickly and arrested a 38-year-old man who remained in custody.
Authorities described the incident as racially aggravated criminal damage.
Authorities reported cleaning crews removing the paint.
Claimed responsibility and links
A Dutch activist and a group claimed responsibility for the stunt.
Footage and social-media posts linked the action to Free the Filton 24.
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.
Arrest and monument incident
Police statements and subsequent reporting set out legal steps taken.
“Metropolitan Police said officers arrived within two minutes of the alert and arrested a 38‑year‑old man on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage; he was also held on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action, a proscribed organisation.”
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.
Condemnation of vandalism
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'.
The responses reflected strong cross-party criticism.
Churchill statue controversy
Observers and several reports placed the incident in the broader context of recurrent targeting of the Churchill statue and intensified legal protection.
“The article notes the statue’s long history as a protest focal point: unveiled in 1973 (with Churchill said to have chosen its location in the 1950s), it has been targeted repeatedly — turf placed on its head in 2000, graffitied during 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, and had “racist” painted on its plinth by an Extinction Rebellion activist who was later fined. In 2025 the government strengthened protections, making climbing the monument a criminal offence (punishable by up to three months in prison and a £1,000 fine) and adding it to a list of protected national monuments.”
The monument has been a protest focal point for decades, including during 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
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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.