Pro-Palestine protesters have doused a Government building in red paint while demanding Labour and the Conservatives take a stand against Israel.
Members of Palestine Action and Youth Demand, a “new youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide”, threw red paint on the Ministry of Defence’s London headquarters this afternoon.
The groups messily sprayed paint on the building’s facade, leaving windows and walls partially covered.
They used the paint to demand the Tories and Labour Party commit to imposing a two-way arms embargo on Israel and issued other demands reminiscent of those made by Just Stop Oil.
The group called on politicians to end all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK, including revoking oil and gas licences issued since 2021.
Palestine Action has become one of the most prominent forces speaking out against Israel’s ground war in Gaza in recent months and is among groups responsible for organising protests across the UK.
Police have arrested numerous activists protesting with the group, and during the latest incident, British Transport Police (BTP) apprehended five people.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said BTP officers attended the protest and took five people into custody for “criminal damage”.
A spokesman said: “Officers from BTP were supporting the policing of a protest in central London when they saw a group of people spraying paint on a building along the Embankment.
“Five people were arrested for criminal damage and are in custody. We will never tolerate people causing criminal damage to buildings under the guise of protest.”
