‘God Save Gaza’ graffitied on Grade-II listed First World War statue after London protest

A statue of First World War commander Field Marshal Douglas Haig was defaced with the words “God Save Gaza” on Saturday, 28 October, as a pro-Palestinian protest took place in central London.

Around 100,000 demonstrators marched to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Haig, who died in 1928, was commander of the British forces at the Somme and Ypres during the First World War.

He was a controversial military figure - he won a battle of attrition against Germany on the Western Front but became much-maligned for his strategies which led to excessive casualties of British troops under his command.