A statue of Winston Churchill in central London was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti, including Hamas symbols, overnight between Thursday and Friday. Police have arrested one suspect, a 38-year-old man, on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal assault.

Though police did not name the suspect, an activist group called “Free the Filton 24 NL,” which claimed credit for the vandalism, identified him as a member named Olax Outis.

The graffiti included inverted triangles – a symbol used in Hamas propaganda to indicate an Israeli target – as well as the phrases “Globalize the intifada” and “Zionist war criminal.”

Also written on the statue were “Free Palestine,” “Stop the genocide,” and “Never again is now.” The latter is an appropriation of a slogan associated with Holocaust remembrance.

The group that claimed credit for the vandalism describes itself as “friends and family” of the so-called Filton 24, members of the Palestine Action group who were arrested for breaking into an Israeli defense firm’s factory and destroying military equipment, causing about 1 million pounds ($1.4 million) of damage, according to prosecutors.

In a statement shared by the group, Outis said that he had........

© The Times of Israel