Churchill Statue Defaced with Political Graffiti in Central London
A prominent bronze statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, Westminster, has been targeted in what authorities are calling a "completely abhorrent" act of vandalism. The 12-foot-tall monument was defaced overnight with multiple political slogans spray-painted in red, including "Zionist war criminal," "Stop the Genocide," and "Free Palestine."
Arrest Made Following Early Morning Discovery
Metropolitan Police officers were alerted to the damage shortly after 4 a.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026. A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage and remains in police custody. The statue has been cordoned off as cleanup operations commenced this morning.
A spokesperson for Number 10 Downing Street condemned the act strongly, stating: "It's obviously a disgrace. It's completely abhorrent. Churchill was a great Briton. This Government will always stand up for our values and the perpetrator must be held to account. We're glad the police have made an arrest."
Group Claims Responsibility for Political Statement
The Dutch activist group Free the Filton 24 claimed responsibility for the vandalism on Friday morning. The organization, which defines itself as a network of "family and friends" of Palestine Action activists charged in a 2024 break-in at an Elbit Systems UK site, posted a video on Instagram appearing to show a man in red coveralls painting the statue.
Olax Outis, who identified himself as Dutch and part of the group, claimed to be the individual shown defacing the monument. In a statement on the group's Instagram account, Mr. Outis explained his actions were intended "to draw attention to the horrible human rights violations happening in a country that's run by colonisers who refuse to listen to their people."
Additional Graffiti and Community Response
Further phrases discovered on the statue included "Never again is Now" and "Globalise the Intifada." The latter phrase has drawn particular attention from law enforcement, with both the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police having announced in December that anyone chanting "globalise the intifada" would face arrest following terror attacks in Australia and Manchester.
Jewish community organizations expressed outrage at the targeting of Churchill's statue. The Jewish Leadership Council posted on X: "In targeting the statue of a British hero who led this country in the fight against the Nazis, the perpetrator has found a perverse way to combine a hatred of Jews with a disdain for Britain."
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, wrote: "One of the greatest champions for liberty, who defeated the Nazis, defaced. Zionism, the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, inverted."
Historical Context and Previous Incidents
The statue, created by sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones and unveiled in 1973 by Lady Clementine Churchill, stands on the north-east corner of Parliament Square among eleven other statues of notable statesmen including Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln. This is not the first time Churchill's likeness has been vandalized; the monument has been targeted multiple times during previous demonstrations and political protests.
A Greater London Authority spokesperson stated: "We are appalled by this vandalism to the statue of Sir Winston Churchill and work is under way to remove the graffiti as quickly as possible." The cleanup process is expected to restore the bronze sculpture to its original condition, though the incident has reignited debates about political expression, historical monuments, and community tensions in London.
