Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has denounced the vandalism of several statues in Parliament Square, including the monument to suffragist Dame Millicent Fawcett, calling the damage “disgraceful.” The defacement occurred during a protest by transgender rights campaigners following a Supreme Court ruling that biological sex defines a woman under the Equality Act.
Seven statues were targeted, with graffiti such as “trans rights are human rights” sprayed on a statue of former South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts. Cooper praised the Metropolitan Police’s investigation and reaffirmed plans to strengthen laws protecting memorials. “Freedom of speech and protest are important, but criminal damage is completely unacceptable,” she said.
The Met confirmed officers did not witness the vandalism due to the dense crowd and has appealed for public footage to aid the investigation. The Greater London Authority plans to remove the graffiti using specialist equipment.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling clarified that transgender women with gender recognition certificates can be excluded from single-sex spaces if justified. Protests against the decision also took place in Reading, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson condemned the defacement of Dame Millicent Fawcett’s statue, calling it an “appalling” attack on a symbol of women’s rights. The statue, created by artist Gillian Wearing, remains the only female representation in Parliament Square.
The Met is also reviewing complaints about protest signs shared on social media and warned of legal action if any breached public order laws.
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