LONDON

The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square in Westminster was defaced overnight with the words “Zionist war criminal.”

A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of "racially aggravated criminal damage" and remains in custody.

Other phrases, including “Stop the Genocide” and “Free Palestine," were sprayed in red paint on the bronze sculpture. Further graffiti read “Never again is Now” and “Globalise the Intifada.”

The Dutch group Free the Filton 24 claimed responsibility for the action on Friday morning.

It posted a video on its Instagram account, appearing to show a man dressed in red coveralls, with “I support Palestine Action” written on the back, painting the statue.

Free the Filton 24 defines itself as a group of “family and friends” of 24 Palestine Action activists who were charged over a break-in at one of Israel-based defense firm Elbit Systems’ UK sites in 2024.

Olax Outis, who said he is Dutch and part of the group, has claimed to be the man on the statue.

In a statement on its Instagram account, Outis said he defaced the statue “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.”

He added: “The current British Government should be dragged before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and as a representative of The Hague, I'm here to hold them accountable.”

Explaining why he chose to target the Churchill statue, Outis said: “To be blunt: if someone would ever be completely out of their mind enough to erect a statue of Keir Starmer or Yvette Cooper, I would happily demolish such an effigy.

“Churchill is but a symbol of the same political corruption.”

The statue was cordoned off and cleaned on Friday morning, and it was cleaned again later.