British authorities have charged a man responsible for spraying graffiti on the statue of Winston Churchill on Parliament Square in London. The incident occurred on Friday morning when slogans with pro-Palestinian content and accusations of war crimes were painted on the pedestal and the figure. The event sparked a wave of outrage among British politicians, leading to immediate police intervention and public order services that began removing the paint from the historic monument.

Charges brought against the perpetrator

A 24-year-old man has been formally charged with criminal damage to property after painting slogans on the Churchill statue.

Slogans with political content

The vandal painted the slogans “Free Palestine” and accusations of being a “Zionist war criminal” on the pedestal.

Reaction of authorities and government

Politicians unequivocally condemned the act of vandalism, and conservation services attempted to remove the paint.

On Friday, February 27, 2026, the heart of British democracy witnessed an act of vandalism that resonated widely in international media. The statue of Sir Winston Churchill, located on the prestigious Parliament Square in London, was vandalized using white paint. The perpetrator painted slogans such as “Free Palestine” and the accusatory phrase “Zionist war criminal” on the monument. The Metropolitan Police reacted swiftly, arresting a 24-year-old man on the spot. As reported in the latest statements on February 28, the detained man has now been formally charged with criminal damage to property. This incident fits into the growing wave of social tensions in the United Kingdom, where historical objects are increasingly becoming a platform for radical political demonstrations related to the situation in the Middle East. The reaction from the political class was almost unanimous and full of condemnation. Representatives of the government and the opposition described the event as “utterly disgusting,” emphasizing that attacking national symbols is beyond the bounds of civilized protest. Westminster technical services undertook immediate conservation actions to restore the statue to its original state. This process required precision to avoid damaging the bronze sculpture's patina while removing the aggressive pigments. Although Parliament Square is monitored by a dense network of city surveillance cameras, the perpetrator committed the act in broad daylight, which commentators say demonstrates the high determination of activist circles. The Churchill statue on Parliament Square, unveiled in 1973 by his widow Clementine, has for years been one of London's most important landmarks. The monument has been the target of attacks multiple times, for example in 2020 during the Black Lives Matter protests, which forced the authorities to periodically secure it with special protective structures.Analysis of French, German, and Spanish sources indicates the global dimension of this event. European media strongly emphasize the context of <przypis title=

Mentioned People

  • Winston Churchill — Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, whose statue was vandalized.