Greenpeace activists were arrested in London while demonstrating against American weapons sales to Israel

Five UK Greenpeace activists have been arrested after pouring biodegradable "blood-red" dye into the pond outside the US embassy in London, the organization reported on Thursday. They were protesting against US arms sales to Israel amid the war in Gaza, it added.

The group has stated that 12 activists transported containers labeled 'Stop Arming Israel' on bicycles with trailers disguised as delivery bikes. They emptied what they describe as non-toxic dye into the pond to symbolize the bloodshed in Gaza.

"The red dye highlights the death and devastation caused in Gaza as a direct result of the US' continued sale of weapons, ammunition and military hardware to Israel," a statement on the organization's website claims.

Greenpeace co-executive director Will McCallum was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause criminal damage, an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of ten years, The Guardian reported. The other four activists were reportedly detained on similar charges.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests and clarified that no security perimeters had been breached during the protest. "Five people have so far been arrested nearby on suspicion of criminal damage and conspiracy to cause criminal damage," they told the outlet.

"We took this action because US weapons continue to fuel an indiscriminate war," Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, told The Guardian. She cited the destruction of schools, hospitals, and entire neighborhoods in Gaza. She added that "tens of thousands of Palestinian lives [have been] obliterated," and stressed that as Israel's largest arms supplier, the US government "bears a heavy responsibility for the horrors unfolding."

Greenpeace has urged both the UK and US governments to implement a total arms embargo on Israel. The organization contends that US weapons contribute to civilian casualties in the conflict with Hamas. The protest was organized as part of a broader campaign highlighting the humanitarian impact of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in over 50,000 deaths, according to the local authorities. Israel invaded Gaza following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that killed around 1,200 people.