Churchill Statue Under Strain: Climbing Could Lead to Up to 3 Months in Prison or a Fine

Statues Suffer in Parliament Square
Frequent Protests Lead to Climbing and Painting Incidents

Climbing onto the statue of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) in Parliament Square, in front of the UK Parliament, could result in up to three months in prison or a fine of 1,000 pounds (1.86 million won).

According to BBC on May 7 (local time), the UK Home Office plans to classify the Churchill statue, the Cenotaph in Whitehall, and the Royal Artillery Memorial in Hyde Park as war memorials for protection.

Statue of Churchill in Parliament Square, London. Photo by AP Yonhap News

A provision defining the act of climbing onto such war memorials as a criminal offense has been included in the crime and policing bill submitted to Parliament. The 3.65-meter-high Churchill statue is a major tourist attraction, both because Churchill is regarded as one of Britain's greatest figures and because it stands directly in front of the Westminster Palace clock tower, Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower), drawing many visitors.

Frequent protests are held in the square in front of Parliament, and the Churchill statue has often been affected. During the "Occupy Democracy" protest in 2014, a man stood on the statue's pedestal for 48 hours. This protester was later prosecuted but found not guilty.

During the May Day protests in 2000, a former marine painted the statue and placed green turf on Churchill's head, resulting in a 30-day detention sentence.

In 2020, during a climate change protest, an 18-year-old protester painted the statue and was fined 200 pounds (370,000 won) and ordered to pay 1,200 pounds (2.23 million won) in compensation.

It is said that former Prime Minister Churchill personally chose this location for his statue in the 1950s. The unveiling ceremony was actually held in 1973, eight years after his death.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, "Prime Minister Churchill was the greatest hero of our country and a role model for all future prime ministers," adding, "Using his statue as a protest platform understandably provokes outrage." He further emphasized, "We have a duty to criminally punish such acts."