Two anti-Israel activists were wrestled to the ground after they ran onto the London Marathon route Sunday to disrupt the event and protest ties between Israel and the United Kingdom.
A marathon staffer intervened and wrestled the two Youth Demand activists away from the path of the marathoners, after they jumped the barriers and threw red powder at the Tower Bridge, according to a Metropolitan Police X/Twitter post. Police officers arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance.
The Met assured the public that the red chalk-based powder would not present a hazard to runners.
The British non-violent environmental and political activist group said in a statement that the activists called for a “full trade embargo” on Israel amid the war in Gaza, and for reparations by oil and gas companies to countries and communities harmed by climate change.
The activists, wearing shirts that read “stop arming Israel,” were identified by Youth Demand as Bristol resident Willow Holland and Nottingham resident Cristy North. The activists claimed that they had interrupted the marathon because they had no other course of action after standard protests had failed to sway the government.
The allegations
They alleged that a supposed genocide in Gaza was funded by the government, with North asserting that British leaders were “using our taxes to arm a genocidal state, breaking humanitarian international law.”
Holland said that she refused “to be complicit in a genocide funded by our politicians. Profit should never be prioritized over basic decency; we’re taking action for human lives and human rights. We don’t want blood on our hands, we don’t want to be forced into complicity with a genocide. We need more people in resistance, refusing to be complicit whilst upholding international law – now more than ever.”
A Youth Demand spokesperson claimed that they were acting in a race against time, as humanitarian aid restrictions for Gaza were allegedly resulting in starvation.
“Millions of starving Palestinians are being bombed with UK complicity,” the direct action youth group said. “By continuing to arm Israel, Starmer has crossed the line from genocidal denial to genocidal complicity.”
Ahead of the marathon, the Met said that it had deployed across the city to accommodate a number of public events and protests.
“Our role is to provide a reassuring presence, to ensure that events and other gatherings take place safely and securely, and to respond to any incidents or offenses,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said in a Friday statement. “Where we’re dealing with protest, we will intervene decisively if individuals cross the line into criminality. We will be keeping a close eye on any attempt to cause serious disruption and dealing swiftly with those intent on doing so.”
“Our role is to provide a reassuring presence, to ensure that events and other gatherings take place safely and securely, and to respond to any incidents or offenses,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said. “Where we’re dealing with protest, we will intervene decisively if individuals cross the line into criminality. We will be keeping a close eye on any attempt to cause serious disruption and dealing swiftly with those intent on doing so.”