Home secretary calls damage to statues disgraceful

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the vandalism of statues in Parliament Square, including Dame Millicent Fawcett's, as "disgraceful. " This incident occurred during a protest against a Supreme Court ruling defining a woman based on biological sex in the Equality Act. The Metropolitan Police reported that seven statues were damaged, but no arrests have been made so far. Cooper welcomed the police's investigation and announced that the government will strengthen laws to protect important memorials. The Supreme Court's ruling, which allows for the exclusion of transgender women from single-sex spaces if deemed proportionate, has ignited protests in various cities, including Reading and Glasgow.

Cooper's remarks highlight the ongoing conflict between free speech rights and the protection of historical monuments. The statue of Dame Millicent Fawcett, the only statue of a woman in Parliament Square, was erected in 2018 following a campaign by feminist activist Caroline Criado Perez. The Greater London Authority plans to remove the graffiti, emphasizing the importance of preserving national monuments.