Twelve people have been arrested in connection with a demonstration that saw the Labour Party’s headquarters daubed in red paint.
Activists from the Youth Demand Group targeted the Opposition’s headquarters in central London today as it called for an arms embargo on Israel.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers have been deployed in central London to a demonstration with ‘Youth Demand’ today.
“The demonstration started in Embankment and moved to Piccadilly Circus and Parliament Square with no road closures and no arrests.
“At 14:18hrs, police were called to an incident of criminal damage in Rushworth Street, SE1, following reports of protesters spraying paint inside and outside of a business property. Officers were on scene within two minutes and have arrested twelve people on suspicion of criminal damage.”
The protest comes as the government comes under pressure to publish legal advice it has received over whether Israel has breached international law in Gaza after seven aid workers, including three British volunteers, were killed in an airstrike last week – something Israel has said was a “grave mistake”.
Israel has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October – including more than 15,000 children – according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory.
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The government does not directly supply Israel with weapons but does grant export licences for British companies to sell arms to the country.
Labour has said arms exports to Israel should be suspended if the advice to ministers is that international law has been broken, but the government is refusing to make the guidance public, citing confidentiality.
Sir Keir Starmer has resisted backing an embargo without seeing the advice.
Youth Demand, which is calling for an arms embargo and an end to oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, said three of its supporters had sprayed the outside of…
