A pro-Palestine activist spray-painting slogans on a statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London, has been acquitted of criminal damage. Olax Outis, also known as Caspar San Giorgi, 39, had faced charges for allegedly causing more than £7,000 in damage to the monument.
Outis was arrested on February 27 after climbing the statue early in the morning with cans of paint and a ladder. He wore a red boiler suit emblazoned with the words 'I support Palestine Action' and proceeded to spray messages including 'Zionist war criminal,' 'Stop the Genocide,' 'Free Palestine,' 'Never Again Is Now,' and 'Globalise the Intifada.' He also painted the Dutch phrase 'groetjes uit den haag,' meaning 'Greetings from the Hague.'
During his trial, Outis pleaded not guilty to criminal damage. He argued that he did not believe he had committed a crime, asserting that his actions were a political statement intended for Parliament. He also contested that the washable paint used constituted actual damage to the monument. The activist previously claimed responsibility for the incident in an online statement, calling Churchill a "murder-horny bigoted w***er" and a war criminal.
The defacement was witnessed by a heritage warden who alerted the Metropolitan Police. Officers arrived at the scene within two minutes. A prosecutor told the court that Outis began defacing the statue after revealing his protest attire.
Outis stated that one of the messages was a warning to then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Parliament regarding Britain's stance on Gaza and Palestine. He expressed a desire to see Starmer on trial in The Hague. The activist maintained he was prepared to accept any judgment from the jury, viewing his actions as a means of speaking out against injustice.
In his statement after the incident, Outis compared Churchill to "the Keir Starmer of his time" and suggested that painting the statue was a way to protest current politicians. He also criticized the Netherlands for being complicit in what he described as the "Palestinian genocide."
Following the incident, Downing Street condemned the act as "disgraceful" and "abhorrent," emphasizing that Churchill was a "great Briton" and that the perpetrator should be held accountable. The police confirmed an arrest was made.
Southwark Crown Court delivered the not guilty verdict on Monday afternoon. Outis is a Dutch national and was associated with Free the Filton 24 NL, a Netherlands-based pro-Palestine group.