ICON DEFACED
Churchill statue vandalised by Extinction Rebellion yobs as protesters leap on cars at Parliament Square demo
A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage after Extinction Rebellion yobs defaced a Winston Churchill statue during an eco-rally in central London yesterday.
The iconic monument was sprayed with the word "racist" in yellow graffiti - the third attack in as many months.
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It comes after the historic memorial outside Parliament was targeted twice in as many days during the Black Lives Matter protests in June.
Masked yobs were seen leaping on cars as thousands of XR protesters gathered in central London yesterday afternoon.
Cops are battling to remove a roadblock thrown down by the eco-warriors.
Tory MP George Eustice said yobs jumped on his car while a man was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage over the statue attack.
At least 648 people have been arrested during the environmental action this month.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the new graffiti would be removed from the Winston Churchill statue as soon as possible.
He said: "This appalling vandalism is completely unacceptable. It will be fully investigated and the statue will be cleaned as quickly as possible."
Last week Priti Patel told police to use all available powers to crackdown on the eco-extremists after they blockaded national newspapers.
Downing Street accused XR of putting lives at risk by diverting crucial resources from the emergency services’ Covid battle.
The group has wreaked havoc across the UK over the past week and prevented 1.5million newspapers reaching the shops on Saturday, leading to more than 80 arrests.
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The former Prime Minister's statue was defaced twice in less than a week during Black Lives Matter protests in June.
The memorial to the wartime hero was graffitied with the words 'racist' - then four days later ACAB, believed to stand for "All Cops are B*******."
Boris Johnson described the vandalism as "absurd and shameful" - and had to be boarded up.
The PM said: "We cannot now try to edit or censor our past.
"We cannot pretend to have a different history."
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Statues of Queen Victoria and slave trader Edward Colston were also targeted during anti-racism demos in June.
Protesters in Bristol tore down the Colston statue and threw it into the harbour.
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A second Winston Churchill statue was vandalised outside of central London earlier this year.
The memorial in Woodford Green, northeast London, was similarly graffitied by demonstrators.
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