- A 38-year-old man was charged with criminal damage after vandalism.
- Churchill statue in Parliament Square was sprayed with political graffiti messages.
- The monument has been targeted multiple times during various protest movements.
Caspar San Giorgio, aged 38 and of no fixed address, faced charges of criminal damage following an incident at Parliament Square. Metropolitan police arrested him shortly after 4am on Friday, with formal charges filed in the early hours of Saturday. He is scheduled to appear at Highbury Corner magistrates court in the coming days.
The bronze statue of Winston Churchill outside the Houses of Parliament became the target of red paint vandalism. Messages including “Zionist war criminal,” “stop the genocide,” and “free Palestine” were sprayed across the monument’s surface. Additional phrases such as “never again is now” and “globalise the intifada” also appeared on the sculpture.
Authorities had previously warned about the slogan “globalise the intifada.” In December, both the Metropolitan police and Greater Manchester police announced that chanting this phrase would result in arrest. This decision followed two terror incidents: one at a Manchester synagogue in October and another at Bondi Beach in Australia during December.
Officials responded swiftly to the vandalism. The area was immediately cordoned off, and cleaning operations commenced Friday morning. A Greater London Authority spokesperson expressed dismay at the incident, stating that work was underway to remove the graffiti. Downing Street labeled the vandalism “completely abhorrent,” emphasizing that Churchill was a great Briton and the perpetrator must face accountability.
Churchill’s statue has experienced multiple acts of vandalism throughout its history. In June 2020, during Black Lives Matter protests, graffiti accusing Churchill of racism appeared on the monument. Later that year, an Extinction Rebellion activist was ordered to pay more than 1,500 pounds after painting “racist” on the plinth during a climate demonstration.
The 3.6-metre monument, designed by sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones, was unveiled in 1973 by Clementine Churchill, the former prime minister’s wife. It stands among twelve statues situated on or around Parliament Square, including memorials to figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela.
