Key facts
- Olax Outis, also known as Caspar San Giorgio, was found not guilty of criminal damage.
- Outis spray-painted "Stop the Genocide" and "Free Palestine" on the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square.
- The activist argued that the washable paint did not cause damage and that his actions were a protest.
- Outis stated he did not believe his actions were criminal as he was sending a message to Parliament.
- The damage was alleged to be over £7,000.
A pro-Palestine activist, Olax Outis, also known as Caspar San Giorgio, has been acquitted of criminal damage after spray-painting slogans on a statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square. Outis climbed onto the statue in February, wearing a red boiler suit with "I support Palestine Action" emblazoned on it. He was accused of causing over £7,000 of damage by covering the statue with phrases including "stop the genocide" and "Free Palestine," describing Churchill as a "Zionist war criminal," and calling for then-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to stand trial for war crimes. Outis denied the charge, telling the jury he did not believe he had committed a criminal act as he was sending a message to Parliament and disputed that the washable paint had damaged the statue. He was found not guilty at Southwark Crown Court.