The Metropolitan said its officers were in Parliament Square at the time, but did not witness the “criminal damage” take place.
The area was densely populated with thousands of supporters who gathered for what was billed as an “emergency demonstration” days after a Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.
“Fag rights” and a heart were painted on the banner held by suffragette Millicent Fawcett, and “trans rights are human rights” was sprayed on the pedestal bearing a memorial to South African military leader and statesman Jan Christian Smuts.
The square is home to 12 statues of political figures including Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi.
No arrests have been made, but officers are investigating, Scotland Yard said.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who was leading the policing operation for the protest, said: “It is very disappointing to see damage to seven statues and property in the vicinity of the protest today.
“We support the public’s right to protest but criminality like this is completely unacceptable.
“We are now investigating this criminal damage and urge anyone with any information to come forward.”
Activists at the demonstration demanded “trans liberation” and “trans rights now”, with some waving flags and holding banners as they marched towards St James’s Park.
In a long-awaited judgment delivered on Wednesday, the UK’s highest court confirmed the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act “refer to a biological woman and biological sex”.
Graffiti left on ...
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