Man Charged with Criminal Damage After Churchill Statue Vandalised in Parliament Square
A 38-year-old man has been charged with criminal damage after the iconic statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London, was defaced with graffiti. The incident occurred early on Friday morning, with phrases including "Zionist war criminal," "stop the genocide," and "free Palestine" sprayed in red paint on the bronze sculpture.
Arrest and Court Appearance
Caspar San Giorgio, of no fixed address, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police shortly after 4am on Friday. He was charged in the early hours of Saturday morning and is due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court shortly. The graffiti also included slogans such as "never again is now" and "globalise the intifada," a phrase that police have warned could lead to arrest following recent terror attacks.
Police Response and Previous Incidents
Last December, the Met and Greater Manchester Police stated that chanting "globalise the intifada" would result in arrest, citing connections to terror incidents at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester and Bondi Beach in Australia. The Churchill statue has been targeted multiple times before, including during Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020, when it was labelled as racist, and in October 2020, when an Extinction Rebellion activist was fined over £1,500 for painting "racist" on its plinth.
Official Condemnation and Cleanup
Authorities swiftly condemned the vandalism. A Greater London Authority spokesperson expressed appallment, and work began immediately to clean the statue, which was cordoned off after the attack. Downing Street also denounced the act, with a spokesperson calling it "completely abhorrent" and affirming Churchill's legacy as a great Briton, vowing to hold the perpetrator accountable.
Historical Context of the Statue
The 3.6-metre monument, created by sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones, was unveiled in 1973 by Clementine Churchill, the former prime minister's wife. It stands as one of twelve statues in Parliament Square, honouring notable statesmen like Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela, and has become a focal point for protests over the years.
