Anti-Israel activist acquitted after defacing Churchill statue with pro-Hamas symbol

Outis vehemently denied any wrongdoing, telling jurors that he did not believe he had committed a crime because his actions were intended to deliver a political message to the British Parliament.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

An anti-Israel activist who defaced a Winston Churchill statue with inflammatory slogans has been acquitted of criminal damage in a case that raises fresh concerns over the UK legal system’s response to antisemitic rhetoric and apparent support for terrorism.

Olax Outis, 39, was found not guilty at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday after climbing onto and vandalizing a statue of Churchill, who led Britain as prime minister during World War II, in Parliament Square earlier this year, wearing a red boiler suit bearing the words, “I support Palestine Action.”

He was accused of causing more than $9,500 in damage after spray-painting the statue red and covering it with slogans including “stop the genocide” and “Free Palestine,” as well as red inverted triangles—a symbol used to signal support for Hamas—on its front and “Never Again Is Now” across the back.

During the trial, Outis described Churchill as a “Zionist war criminal” and called for former Prime Minister Keir Starmer to face trial for alleged war crimes related to the war in Gaza.

“My wish is to see him on trial in The Hague,” he told the jury. “If I had a larger canvas and more time, I would have written that if Keir Starmer doesn’t come to The Hague, The Hague will come for him.”

“Whether I get acquitted, deported, or imprisoned for years, I can be proud of having spoken about injustice, and I have accounted for my actions,” he continued. “I will accept your judgement.”

However, Outis vehemently denied any wrongdoing, telling jurors that he did not believe he had committed a crime because his actions were intended to deliver a political message to the British Parliament.

He also argued that the paint could be washed off the statue, meaning it caused no real damage, while claiming that his actions were “preventing a crime.”

Like most countries across Europe and the broader Western world, the UK has seen a shocking rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years, in the wake of the Hamas-led invasion and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

According to a report released last month, antisemitic incidents across the country surged 21 percent in just the first six months of 2026, reaching the second-highest total ever recorded for the period—pointing to an increasingly hostile climate facing Britain’s Jewish community amid rising violence and persistent anti-Jewish hatred.

The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish charity that monitors antisemitism and provides security for Jewish communities across the country, released preliminary figures for the first half of 2026 showing 1,926 anti-Jewish hate incidents between January and June, up from 1,598 during the same period last year.

With an average of 321 antisemitic incidents recorded every month, the latest figures represent nearly double the levels seen before the Oct. 7 atrocities.

CST reported a sharp escalation in the severity of antisemitic attacks, with physical assaults soaring 82 percent to 135 cases, school-related incidents climbing 59 percent to 178, and antisemitic acts targeting synagogues increasing 31 percent, underscoring growing fears for the safety of Britain’s Jewish community.