Winston Churchill, an avid painter, always said that “audacity” is the key to every artist. If so, Caspar San Giorgi, 39, has a good start on an artistic career in Great Britain. The Palestinian activist, who is reportedly Dutch and also goes by the name of Olax Outis, took a ladder and a box of spray paint in February to deface the famous statue of Churchill in Parliament Square. Despite his admitting to the crime and rejoicing in it, a British jury just found him not guilty in a blatant act of jury nullification.
Churchill also observed that “armed with a paint-box, one cannot be bored.” San Giorgi certainly proved that observation. He used red spray paint to write the messages “Free Palestine”, “Stop the Genocide”, and described Britain’s WWII leader as a “Zionist War Criminal.” He then reportedly boasted in court about causing the £7,000 in damage.
San Giorgi insisted that he is a “citizen of The Hague.” The International Criminal Court located at The Hague has declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal over the war in Gaza.
He said in court that this was a message for Sir Keir Starmer and Parliament: “If I had a larger canvas and more time, I would have written: ‘If Keir Starmer doesn’t come to The Hague, The Hague will come for him.'”
He told the jury that he was not guilty because he used paint that could be washed off and that his protest was “preventing a crime,” not committing a crime.
San Giorgi remained defiant and proud of his conduct:
“Whether you convict me or not is not too much of a concern for me. Whether I get acquitted, deported, imprisoned for years, I can be proud of having spoken about injustice and I have accounted for my actions. I will accept your judgement.”
The jury proceeded to declare him not guilty. It is regrettably a sign of the times in London. Rage has now replaced reason. In June 2020, the statue was vandalized so often that the city encased it in a wooden box. Rather than arresting those seeking to deface it, Churchill was boxed away from public sight.
Now, a jury has decided that it is not a crime to deface public property.
Churchill famously said that “the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” I am beginning to see what he meant.
Oh dear, more of Turley’s confected “rage” nonsense. Perverse acquittals by juries are nothing new. Even under Margaret Thatcher, there was a very high profile case in 1985 of a civil servant who admitted he had breached the Official Secrets Act to leak secret documents about the sinking of the Argentine cruiser Belgrano during the Falklands War. The defendant claimed he had done so in the public interest, the judge correctly directed that no such defence was permitted under the OSA and that the jury must therefore find him guilty, and the jury acquitted him anyway. At least that was a genuine offence, unlike little Jeanine’s attempts to prosecute innocents to cover up the fact that Donald knows nothing about paint and ponds; where, notably, grand juries have done the right thing. No one here in the UK is in “rage” over this, just irritated at antics by an idiot. The paint will be cleaned off, just as it has been cleaned off in the past from the Cenotaph and other public buildings. It is nowhere near as bad, say, as the damage caused by the J6 idiots at the Capitol…
so you agree this was a Perverse acquittal, thanks.
Your argument is there once was a jury nullification in 1985? You are helping the west destroy itself.
I just point to that as an example. There have been plenty more in the USA of late: the Reflecting Pool, the Subway Sandwich chap, the nonsense about Comer and the seashells, to name just a few. I have spent four decades playing my little part in helping the west defend itself, and have been knocked over by the blast from an IED for my pains, among other things. What have you done? The point is that, as even a first year law undergraduate would understand, is that juries occasionally do odd things. That is actually the strength of the system; it means that governments cannot oppress by fiat. No one here is gnashing their teeth or raging as Turley would have you think, just because one prat actually walked away from court following a silly and tiresome little stunt. Turley is just embarrassing himself. Where is his piece, as the great defender of the First Amendment, on Trump banning media he does not like from the White House?
Yes, juries can do some odd things. However, you are still not making a coherent point. One act of bad behavior doesn’t justify other acts. The only one embarrassing themselves here is you. It appears that that IED blast may have caused some brain damage, and if so, that might help explain things.
The ICC may have issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, but it has made no formal determination that he he a “war criminal” as the artcle asserts. But more to the point, the ICC is an international farce.
Indeed, strange that Turley, a professor of law, does not understand that charging someone does not equate to a conviction, nor that the ICC, whatever one thinks of it, holds a defendant innocent until proven guilty. Very, very sloppy of him.
even stranger, X and gigi have both been showing up as ‘anonymous’ since getting destroyed with feedback yesterday.
Even stranger, you think anyone posting as anonymous is “X” or “Gigi”, or “Sally”. You have no idea.
FYI, this is my first post of the day LOL!
sincerely X
With due exception(s), I am a “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander ” sentiment kinda person.
Let this man be gently tethered, moved to the base of the statue, stripped of his clothes, then painted red from head to foot, with a few attached messages for all to read. The punishment will end simultaneously with the cleaning of the statue.
I vote YES.
Sorry, your vote was not recognised by the Trump postal service and has been denied. ICE are on their way to deport you.
Yes, Lin, I agree that type of suggestion aligns with the crime. Community service and a bit of humiliation.
Let this man be gently tethered, moved to the base of the statue, stripped of his clothes, then painted red from head to foot, with a few attached messages for all to read
Have you seen what this fat slob looks like without a shirt ? Eeegads. Clearly he has not staged a hunger strike in solidarity with the Gaza terrorists.
It would be better if the Chick-Fil-A™ cows did the stripping of his hide, filleted, tarred and feathered him and stuffed his mouth with chicken feed supplied by Vegans. Then his sympathies for the terrorists of Gaza might be believed. Fat chance
People can say all they want against Churchill, but the fact remains that if not for Churchill, Roosevelt, & Stalin (to a lesser extent), we’d all be living under Nazism right now. Those who’ve suffered under the unspeakable tyranny & evil of communism have a great deal to teach ignorant Americans these days who believe that they’re living “communism.” Sorry, folks–but we are still blessed to live in the greatest nation in the world!
Excuse me, a question please. What is exactly the “unspeakable tyranny & evil of communism”?
The DSA.
Not communists, Marx and Engels would laugh at the idea. Only crazed Joe McCarthy would pretend that everyone to the left of DJT was a communist.
But, but, but… Donald Trump wasn’t a target of Joe McCarthy’s witch hunt.
But the DSA didn’t exist in 1945 Soviet Union. And, it’s Democratic Socialists of AMERICA, not of the Soviet Union.
DSA is an oxymoron.
No, it is simply that tiresome individuals such as yourself do not comprehend the subtleties of the political spectrum, and that true communists actually despise social democrats. Stalin hated and feared the social democratic governments in Europe in the late forties and fifties more than he hated and feared the USA, because they totally undermined his claim that socialist ideals could only be secured under a communist dictatorship.
On an early summer day, six years ago next month, an event of historic significance took place in Washington, D.C. A diverse group of people” politicians , clergy, and émigrés”gathered to dedicate the Victims of Communism Memorial in honor of “the tens of millions of men, women and children who were ruthlessly and systematically exterminated to advance the cause of the murderous, malevolent ideology that is Communism.” That many people do not recall this event, and don’t even know that such a memorial exists, is a loss for everyone.
You really have to ask that question? Pol Pot…2-3 million…dead…Stalin…20-30 million…dead…Mao…nearly 100 million…dead.
you need to do a little reading. Start here: The Gulag Archipelago
I dare ya
Only a young and uneducated moron would ask what evils of communism there are or have been. Study child, study.
Deface the statue of the fat striding black woman and you’ll be imprisoned for a decade. There is no justice anymore.
Great point. Leftist items are untouchable, historic items are trashed.
I remind people that the Supreme Court has stated in the past that burning the American Flag is an example of free speech. I find this paint affaire of little importance. If indeed this was paint that could be washed off then I really have no sense of outrage. Churchill’s stature has been defaced many times already, as stated in the column. And will still be defaced again in the future. Was he a great man? Undoubtedly but he was also a truly entrenched imperialist and some of his statements, often misconstrued or without context, make his image and legacy a target. If you read history you will know that Churchill and FDR had many conversations about the aspirations of the many peoples of the British Empire and Churchill’s extreme reluctance to disassemble the empire. This caused a great deal of problems in India to maintain support in WW2 and the reluctance of Indian Divisions to fight for the Empire.
This was a contrast to the Filipinos who fought with incredible ferocity in support of the US and throughout the war and despite severe suffering. Of course they also knew that they had been promised independence in 1946. India and other British holdings had no such assurances.
I have tremendous respect for Churchill, for his leadership and bravery. He had no hesitance in risking himself on the battlefield as well as leading in Parliament. I positively revere his skill in the use of the English Language.
But if you have a statue built of you, somewhere down the road, you’re going to get the paint also.
Okay GEB, you had your writing exercise for today, now go back to bed.
OK ano
Can you counter what GEB posted. Or you are just here to post insults.
Can you counter what anonymous posted? Or you are just here to post insults? Fixed it! Typical Dustoff, can’t punctuate..
Hey Dustoff, your NY pig farmer buddy is here now, so lets get this show started.
They only show. Are you ano fools.
Why?
In just two paragraphs, GEB summed up Churchill and a part of WWII history quite well.
A very interesting contribution of today’s topic.
From the chattering monkey who called the Magna Carta, the “Magna Carter”, thinking Pres. Jimmy Carter wrote it.
Almost forgot to ask, what is so interesting about it?
Any proof ano?
Fire away
Oh, poor, poor annony! Not smart enough to recognize a typo when he sees it. Just like DustOff had a typo with the word “collage.” The rest of us knew exactly what he meant. But you, well, by bringing it up, again and again, just put on display for all to see how not only do you lack intelligence but common sense.
By all means, do keep bringing up “Carter.” It only reaffirms this comment.
How marvelous!
“Not smart enough to recognize a typo” Well, you did write it. You call it a typo? Sure, whatever. Are you really so stupid? Obviously yes!
Oh, no! Poor, poor annony! Has to resort to repeating lies about me and my . . . wait! What is this?
“Listen, that thing, you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
What exactly is a,
“. . . you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
Whatever is a “high diploma?”
Or, did you mean, ” . . . a high school diploma?”
Would that be a typo, annony?
I just might have to save that one.
Yes, we all just assume some 95% of the annonys that pollute the good professor’s blog are the same lower elevator level IQ annony.
Just like S. Meyer, Sam and a few others point out how GSX/Gigi/Natasha/Esquire/Wally and others are all the same person.
That’s not annony, that’s the Grammar Nazi!
Oh, no! Poor, poor annony! Has to resort to repeating lies about me and my . . . wait! What is this?
“Listen, that thing, you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
What exactly is a,
“. . . you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
Whatever is a “high diploma?”
Or, did you mean, ” . . . a high school diploma?”
Would that be a typo, annony?
I just might have to save that one.
Yes, we all just assume some 95% of the annonys that pollute the good professor’s blog are the same lower elevator level IQ annony.
Just like S. Meyer, Sam and a few others point out how GSX/Gigi/Natasha/Esquire/Wally and others are all the same person.
GEB is not a lawyer but often pretends to be, then reappears as anonymous to compliment himself and urge others to read him.
The American Flags that were burned were NOT public property. If those same persons burned down the American Flag in front yard of a public courthouse, the consequence would be different.
Do you get it, GEB?
GEB, that is not the point, the point is that he admitted to doing something illegal and the jury let him off. The other point is if you touch a Muslim icon you will be arrested…if not killed.
If governments stopped telling us who was right and who was wrong and who was ‘special’ with statues we wouldn’t have this problem.
Let citizens decide to put up statues of anyone they want on their private land.
Citizens need to stop asking their government to “Pick my guy!”. Humans are imperfect so any statue will always have a counter-argument.
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast”. [the White Queen, in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass”]
One question that might be relevant to the jury decision, “If the paint could be washed off, how was there £7,000 of damage?” Maybe something the rain could wash away wasn’t deemed a crime?
Damage? Hurt MAGA feelings? He should be asking for reparations too.
Deep stuff dude.
Eng
Are you sure? He used red spray paint to write the messages “Free Palestine”,
Was it oil basted or water?
First off Dustoff, it’s oil base, not “basted”. And the defendant stated it could be washed off. So latex based. Great question though… LOL!
He claimed. Not proof.
Can we see the can he used.
Proof? Geez Dustoff, do you know what testimony is?
Your best comment ever! Really deep stuff Dustoff.
Once again, another typo, or autocorrect if DustOff is using a mobile device.
James often comments using a mobile device. For the most part, he does pretty good. But once in awhile, he has a typo. He will then correct it and note it. Not that I think it is necessary. Those of us with a degree of common sense can see a typo when we see one, read into the meaning and get the gist of what was being said and press on.
“Basted” and base are not typos. You blame it on a word progressing program, a keyboard and a mobile device? What about the idiot using them – no blame there eh?
But you (pig farmer) and Dustoff never corrected your “typos”. You ever get the feeling that you’re really stupid?
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/09/19/palestinian-activist-defaces-churchill-statue-and-boasts-about-it-in-court-british-jury-finds-him-not-guilty/#comment-2671913
Oh, no! Poor, poor annony! Has to resort to repeating lies about me and my . . . wait! What is this?
“Listen, that thing, you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
What exactly is a,
“. . . you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
Whatever is a “high diploma?”
Or, did you mean, ” . . . a high school diploma?”
Would that be a typo, annony?
I just might have to save that one.
Yes, we all just assume some 95% of the annonys that pollute the good professor’s blog are the same lower elevator level IQ annony.
Just like S. Meyer, Sam and a few others point out how GSX/Gigi/Natasha/Esquire/Wally and others are all the same person.
I am sure the defendant testified in court that the paint could be washed off. If that wasn’t the case, the prosecution should have said so. I’m just working with the facts Turley presented in the story.
Some poor slob left tire tracks over a LGBT painted CROSSWALK and he was arrested. HYPOCRITE.
An even bigger slob left tyre (note correct English spelling) over a national monument, and not only was he not arrested, he had federal officers arrest innocent people to try to cover his tracks in the most literal sense.
Maybe he used the same paint Donald thought would look great in the Lincoln pond? That washed off quickly enough.
Maybe paining over a George Floyd memorial would make you say enough. Hypocrite.
So if I paint your house but it washes off, no problem?
Pastels ok too?
San Giorgi should not be imprisoned in the UK: as a self-proclaimed “citizen of the Hague”, he should be deported to the Netherlands and permanently barred from reentry. Let him discover if NL will continue to provide him with the public assistance that he is no doubt 100% dependent on in the UK.
The NL would welcome him with open arms. BTW, your international law knowledge is nonexistent.
“The NL would welcome him with open arms”
You are no doubt a rank poseur who is 100% full of fresh, putrid bovine excrement, but if NL would welcome him, that’s fine with me. Let’s send them all the parasites like San Giorgi, all the sooner they starve and an irrational regime goes belly up.
San Giorgi is not a “self-proclaimed” citizen of The Hague.
He is in fact a Dutch citizen, and he does in fact live in The Hague.
He traveled to London for the specific purpose of his protest.
I’m not surprised at this decision, as we’ve all seen the UK sliding towards civilizational suicide. This is a jury which hates the country. How else can their verdict be explained?
“we’ve all seen the UK sliding towards civilizational suicide”
I think that your verb tense is factually incorrect; it should be past, not present participle (“slid” not “sliding”) The UK has already sliced open its own arteries, and in my opinion, is well past the point of an inevitable outcome. All that remains is for it to complete the process of bleeding out…
Present participle … verb tense? Sure pal. Whatever yous say. Do you suck or is it you have always sucked d.
“Whatever yous say.”
The literacy and intelligence of your comment is beyond compare. I don’t need to identify in what direction, that is obvious to those here with any functioning brain cells. Why don’t you do us a favor and swallow your remaining fentanyl caps all at once?
Oh oh ole 6 is big mad. Is is your raging constipation again? Must be hard being full of shite. Shall we call your mommy?
Oh, Number Six is not mad. He simply pointed out the UK may have already committed suicide by the use of changing one word in Free in Florida’s comment. Quite witty really.
Then when he used your own comment against you, you had to resort to your infamous hate and rage.
“May have”? Still you can’t comprehend can you? Listen, that thing, you not having a high diploma, is that true? Heck, they give them away and you can’t get one? Says a lot about you.
And BTW, what comment was used “against you”? Are you sure or you ain’t just shooting your wad at any ole anonymous? Anonymous must be living in your head rent free. More like brain squatting if you ask me.
Do you dream about anonymous too?
Oh, no! Poor, poor annony! Has to resort to repeating lies about me and my . . . wait! What is this?
“Listen, that thing, you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
What exactly is a,
“. . . you not having a high diploma, is that true?”
Whatever is a “high diploma?”
Or, did you mean, ” . . . a high school diploma?”
Would that be a typo, annony?
I just might have to save that one.
Yes, we all just assume some 95% of the annonys that pollute the good professor’s blog are the same lower elevator level IQ annony.
Just like S. Meyer, Sam and a few others point out how GSX/Gigi/Natasha/Esquire/Wally and others are all the same person.
I don’t think I’d be questioning JT’s use of whatever tense he chooses to use whenever he chooses to use it. Those who regularly read his pieces know exactly what he’s saying and why he’s saying it.
You don’t think? That’s pretty obvious Ellen. Are you in a Karen mood this morning, again?
Yes, well, as a British citizen I can assure you that we are alive and kicking, and will still be alive and kicking when Donald’s Thousand Year Reich lies in ruins and little Pete and Jeanine are pouring their last bottles of vodka over the great man’s corpse to burn it in the wreckage of the great ball room.
five-minute conversation. Interesting quote. Considering that the MAGA mind has a span of 5 seconds. Basically an empty void.
Unlike you mary who only has (span of 2 seconds)Grade school insults.
Up date you’re insult library fool.
Span? Of all the idiots here, its funny that Dustoff, the dumbest of all, lectures commenters.
Learn to write a coherent sentence and pay attention to punctuation.
The screen name imposter is back. What a colossal douchebag.
worried…
Hey dummy.. I posted mary’s post.
Try reading before you insult me
Anyone make sense of what this is guy screaming about?
DustOff,
Well said.
Simpleton comments, grade school insults is all the annony has.
Just read annony’s comments he has posted thus far. As Number Six aptly pointed out, “. . . is obvious to those here with any functioning brain cells.”
Oh, Mary, Mary, Mary, you can’t believe everything you hear. Read David Mamet’s “The Secret Knowledge” and get back to us. Your comment is vacuous and tedious.
So you read a book? Congratulations. And I thought you are the stupidest of all. I still do. Your comment is vacuous and tedious.
Well, you got your daily “anti-MAGA”
zinger in. You can go back to your corner now…😘
Well, you got your daily “anti-MAGA” zinger in. Now go back to bed. Why the quotes?
We are on that proverbial rocket sled to hell if we do not stop the progressives now. When the rule of law and justice become subjective and arbitrary we are on a path to civic and cultural demise.
rocket sled…. stop progressives… subjective… arbitrary…. and finally demise. Seems your MAGA mind has entered a black zone. Or was it always black?
I am an historian by degree and it is quite simple, if your are well schooled in the timeline of history, to spot trends and cycles. Simply because you are not so well schooled and are reduced to ironically bad tropes and a good deal of vitriol, one cannot expect a comprehension above that of my little rat-cha dog.
Historian you say? Excuse me while I laugh a bit. You got a poodle.
That contradicts your previous comments, in which you claim to be a highly successful 80 year old entrepreneur selling inflatable sell dolls to nursing homes.
since when is a rescue rat-cha with one eye a poodle? We can see that your TDS/Prog indoctrination has taken its toll on your “little grey cells”. I think it may be terminal at this point – so sad – another mind wasted.
You’re seething again very old one. Thinking also, another mind wasted. Assuming you had one.
You somehow related to George X?
I think she’s really pissed that you called her mut a poodle.
whimsicalmama,
Well said to both of your comments.
Trolling JT to get your little tiny mind geared up to scroll through how many “hurty words” you can say about MAGA says an awful lot about you…and that’s NOT a compliment.
Oh Ellen, you’re just plain rude. Not a compliment. Actually it is and you bit on it. Stoopid batch.
Typical left.
Just pathetic insults!
It’s all they have in their backpack. They were never schooled in civil discourse. Their one lone trick is vitriol, to be spewed, at random, whenever confronted to cogent truth.
Wow. Another example of how a Western institution has not acted as intended. Refusing to uphold property rights is a sure way to tyranny.
Different country, different laws. Turley missed that.
How do you know?
How do you not know? You’re a shining example of stupidity Dustoff.
So.. as usual, no proof.
Just another left-wing insult.
Explain how the law is different in England than it is here as far as defacing public property.
Actually it ‘s Great Britain not England for a start. But what would be the point, you’re oblivious to simple facts.
The United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in northwestern Europe. England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles –
You Yanks are a lot closer to tyranny right now than us Brits.
I believe that Muammar Gaddafi, former dictator of Libya, was correct, when speaking of Islamic hegemony in Europe, he said we will take over Europe without firing a shot.
To date, most EU countries have made Islamic accommodations that most would have thought inconceivable just twenty years ago.
Its obviously escaped your purview, so does the USA.
gdonaldallen,
It is not lost on many the gains the AfD got in the last elections in Germany.
Sweden too, appears to have reached a turning point in regards to immigration. IIRC the big headline at the end of this past May was there were no immigrant gang related shootings that month.
So where the hell was Biggles
When you needed him last Saturday?
He was long ago replaced by the “prostrate man face downwards upon the ground.”