London's Metropolitan Police has arrested a man on suspicion of vandalising the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square in Central London. The graffiti over the iconic statue's plinth read: "is a racist", according to the photos from the ongoing protests by climate activists.
This is not the first time the Winston Churchill statue was vandalised with the "racist" slur written on the statue as it had happed during a Black Lives Matter rally a few weeks ago. Several arrests have been made during the ongoing Extinction Rebellion demonstration. Officers have arrested over 600 protestors from the recent protests, which started earlier this month.
"This appalling vandalism is completely unacceptable. It will be fully investigated and the statue will be cleaned as quickly as possible," London mayor Sadiq Khan.
The police have arrested at least 13 shirtless women, who attached themselves to the outside of the Palace of Westminster with bike locks around their necks. Part of the protest was a woman who had a baby in her arms. These women had "4C" written on them and words like drought, starvation and wildfires written on their chests to demonstrate the consequences of global warming.
The women were taken to the police station in four different vans. Supporters cheered them as they were taken away.
"Now we've got your attention. By neglecting to communicate the consequences of a 4C world – war, famine, drought, displacement – the Government are failing to protect us." Sarah Mintram, a teacher who took part in the action, said, according to Express UK.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has described the activists as "so-called eco-crusaders turned criminals". Boris Johnson too criticised the protests calling it "completely unacceptable" action which saw newspaper deliveries disrupted.
