Churchill statue ‘vandal’ tells court ‘I don’t really care’ about financial cost of pro-Palestine protest
The protestor is in court over his alleged role in damaging a statue with red paint
A pro-Palestine activist who spray painted slogans onto a statue of Sir Winston Churchill has told a jury he was “not concerned” about being found guilty.
Listen to this article
Olax Outis, who is also known as Caspar San Giorgi, told the court he just wanted his protest to be heard. His protest involved climbing on to the statue in Parliament Square, central London, wearing a red boiler suit emblazoned with the words “I support Palestine Action.”
San Giorgi, of no fixed address, has now been accused of spray painting phrases including “Stop the Genocide” and “Free Palestine” on to the statue, causing an alleged £7,000 of damage.
Giving evidence, the 39-year-old said he did not consider his actions to be either criminal or have caused damage to the statue and its plinth.
He told Southwark Crown Court: “I don’t really care about the financials involved – it’s a non-issue for me. It was never my intention to cause much financial damage or anything."
Read more: Pro-Palestine protester who climbed Big Ben and cost taxpayer £67k found guilty of public nuisance
Read more: Activist ‘plotted Palestine paint stunt at Boris Johnson's wedding venue’
“It was about a message to Parliament which I have delivered," said San Giorgi.
San Giorgi, who is representing himself in court, told jurors: “Whether you convict me or not is not too much of a concern for me.
“Whether I get acquitted, deported, imprisoned for years, I can be proud of having spoken about injustice and I have accounted for my actions. I will accept your judgment.”
The court has heard San Giorgi went to Parliament Square just before 4am on February 27, carrying cans of spray paint and a ladder to climb the plinth.
He allegedly removed his coat to reveal a red boiler suit with the words “I support Palestine Action” on the back, and “set about defacing the statue – spraying… the words Free Palestine and red triangles on the front, and Never Again Is Now on the rear,” prosecutor Peter Ratliff told the court.
San Giorgi said one of the phrases he wrote translated as “the Hague sends their regards”, and was intended as a message to Sir Keir and Parliament about Britain’s actions regarding Gaza and Palestine.
San Giorgi was reportedly seen painting the statue by a heritage warden for the Greater London Authority (GLA), who alerted police.
When officers arrived, the court was told that San Giorgi said he had run out of paint and he “wanted to be arrested”.
He told jurors he was carrying a container with diluted acid, but said this was a substance used in the manufacture of chocolate and cheese.
San Giorgi said he believed that since the paint could be washed off the statue he did no damage, and his actions could not be criminal as he was “preventing a crime” with his protest.
It is alleged his actions ran up a £7,000 bill, including for the hire of police barriers, mechanical elevated work platforms for two days, specialised restoration, and emergency call-out.
The trial is ongoing.