Man Charged After Churchill Statue Defaced with Graffiti

A man has been charged with criminal damage following an incident where graffiti was sprayed on the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, February 27, 2026.

Details of the Arrest and Charges

Caspar San Giorgio, 38, of no fixed address, was arrested shortly after 4:00 AM on February 27th. He was charged at 3:50 AM on Saturday, February 28th, with criminal damage according to the Metropolitan Police. San Giorgio appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court via video-link on Saturday, February 28th, but did not confirm his identity when asked as reported by the BBC.

The Graffiti

The graffiti included the phrases “Never again is Now,” “Free Palestine,” and “Globalise the Intifada” . The Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police had previously announced in December that anyone using the phrase “globalise the intifada” would face arrest .

Previous Vandalism of the Statue

This is not the first time the Churchill statue has been targeted. In June 2020, during Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd, the statue was scrawled with graffiti accusing Churchill of racism . Later in 2020, an activist from Extinction Rebellion was fined over £1,500 for writing “racist” on the statue’s plinth during a climate protest .

Court Proceedings

The case has been adjourned until Monday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to allow for a Dutch interpreter to be provided . San Giorgio was remanded in custody.

About the Statue

The 12ft statue, created by Ivor Roberts-Jones, was unveiled in 1973 by Lady Churchill, Winston Churchill’s widow .