Man, 24, arrested after Windrush exhibition vandalised in Brixton - but Met insist incident not a hate crime
6 July 2025, 17:45 | Updated: 6 July 2025, 17:58
A 24-year-old man has been arrested after an exhibition honouring the Windrush generation was vandalised in Brixton, which a local group has blasted as an act of "racial hatred".
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Police were called to reports of vandalism at Windrush Square, Brixton, shortly after 6am on Thursday.
A 24-year-old man was later arrested on Saturday, 5 July on suspicion of vandalism following an investigation.
He was taken to a police station where he remains in custody.
The Metropolitan Police are not treating the incident as a hate crime as it holds further enquiries to establish the motive.
Superintendent Gabriel Cameron who leads policing in Brixton said:"We understand that those in the community will feel distressed about vandalism to the Windrush exhibition in Brixton.
"We believe that this was not a hate crime, and I want to reassure anyone with concerns, that a man has now been arrested.
"Local neighbourhood officers have been in contact with the organiser of the exhibition, and remain in the area to respond to any questions or worries that people may have."
The term "Windrush" refers to the arrival of a large group of immigrants from Caribbean countries to Britain between 1948 and 1973, including those who arrived on the ship HMT Empire Windrush in 1948.
Portraits featured in the Windrush Untold Stories exhibition in Brixton were damaged on Thursday.
The instillation features 20 portraits of those who arrived during the Windrush, as well as first-hand accounts of their experiences.
Local group Friends of Windrush Square have described the attack on the exhibition as "an attack on public art" and argued it was driven by "racial hatred".
It said the incident cause "considerable distress" to people involved in the project, "many of whom are directly connected to the Windrush legacy".
Campaigners have launched a GoFundMe which has raked in nearly £3,000 in donations to repair the damage.
They are seeking to raise £15,000 to reprint the damaged portraits, reinstall the full exhibition in Windrush Square, and research protective measures to help safeguard the work going forward.
The page states: "This exhibition is more than just images. It’s a proud and public celebration of the Windrush generation and their descendants—a space for collective memory, recognition, and resilience.
"Born out of the Big Caribbean Lunch, Windrush Untold Stories honours real people and real lives through photography and storytelling.
"Each individual featured shared their personal history with courage and grace, contributing to a powerful visual archive that reflects our community’s past and present."
