Dutch Activist Acquitted for Vandalizing Churchill Statue in London

An activist from the Netherlands was acquitted on Monday of criminal damage charges after spraying "Zionist war criminal" and other slogans on a statue of Winston Churchill in London. Oleks Ottis, 39, had been accused of causing over £7,000 in damage to the monument located in Parliament Square, Westminster. He had climbed the statue on February 27, wearing a red jumpsuit bearing the slogan "I support Palestine Action."

The jury found him not guilty after he argued he was not committing a crime but delivering a political message, and that the paint used was washable. Prosecutor Peter Ratcliffe told the court that Ottis removed his coat to reveal the jumpsuit and proceeded to deface the statue with protest slogans and red triangles. Among the messages sprayed were "Stop the genocide," "Free Palestine," "Never again is now," and "Global Intifada."

During his trial, Ottis stated that one of the messages was intended as a warning to then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Parliament regarding Britain's stance on Gaza. He told the jury, "If I had a bigger canvas and more time, I would have written that if Keir Starmer does not come to The Hague, The Hague will come to him. My wish is to see him prosecuted in The Hague."

Ottis, who is associated with activists arrested for breaching the website of military technology firm Elbit Systems near Bristol, also claimed he acted to "prevent a crime." He described himself as having come to Britain to deface the statue of "one of the most notorious war criminals in history."

The acquittal drew condemnation from the Prime Minister's Downing Street office, which called the verdict a "disgrace" and the act "utterly abhorrent." They stated, "Churchill was a great Briton. This government will always defend our values, and the perpetrator of this act should be brought to justice. We are pleased the police made an arrest."

Despite the condemnation, the court accepted the defense's argument that no permanent criminal damage had occurred, leading to Ottis's full acquittal.