Churchill Statue Defaced with Pro-Palestinian Graffiti in London, Man Arrested
The statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London, was defaced with graffiti early Friday morning, February 27, 2026, as reported by multiple news outlets. A 38-year-old man has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage.
Details of the Vandalism
The graffiti included phrases such as “Zionist war criminal,” “Stop the Genocide,” and “Free Palestine,” sprayed in red paint on the bronze sculpture [LBC]. Additional messages read “Never again is Now” and “Globalise the Intifada.” Symbols associated with Hamas, specifically inverted triangles used to indicate Israeli targets, were also present [The Times of Israel].
Suspect Identified
Police responded to the scene shortly after 4:00 AM and made an arrest within two minutes [LBC]. The suspect has been identified by the activist group “Free the Filton 24 NL” as Olax Outis, a Dutch national [The Times of Israel]. Outis reportedly claimed responsibility for the act, stating he came to the UK to deface the statue of what he considers a “war criminal” [The Times of Israel].
Group Claims Responsibility
The “Free the Filton 24 NL” group describes itself as being connected to the “Filton 24,” individuals arrested for damaging property at an Israeli defense firm’s factory [The Times of Israel]. Prosecutors estimate the damage caused by the Filton 24 to be approximately £1 million (approximately $1.4 million) [The Times of Israel].
Churchill’s Historical Context
Winston Churchill, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, led Britain during World War II and was a known supporter of the Zionist movement prior to the establishment of Israel in 1948 [The Times of Israel].
The suspect remains in police custody as of Friday morning [LBC], [AP News] and [The Independent].