Five arrested after red paint sprayed on UK Government building in Edinburgh
The 'This is Rigged' group say it's in protest over Rishi Sunak's stance on Gaza
Last updated 6th Mar 2024
Five people have been arrested after red paint was sprayed on a UK Government building in Edinburgh in a pro-Palestinian protest.
This Is Rigged campaigners also scaled Queen Elizabeth House on Wednesday morning and removed the union flag from the roof, replacing it with a Palestinian one.
A fire extinguisher full of red paint was used to spray the front of the building in Sibbald Walk and water balloons containing red paint were thrown at the UK Government crest.
This Is Rigged said it is targeting the UK Government because of its position on the war in Gaza after Israel began its military operation last year, accusing ministers of being "complicit" in the conflict.
The UK Government has resisted calls to back an immediate ceasefire and previously abstained on UN resolutions demanding one.
This week, Downing Street said it wants to see a "sustained humanitarian pause" agreed as quickly as possible to allow the safe release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and a significant increase in aid to Gaza.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 10.30am on Wednesday, we were called to a report of a protest at a building in Sibbald Walk in Edinburgh.
"Five people have been arrested and inquiries are ongoing."
This Is Rigged campaigner Catriona Roberts, 21, a history student from Perthshire, said: "As Palestine is bombed, burned and starved, this Government is complicit.
"I cannot emphasise enough the importance of screaming out into the world that we will not abide genocide."
Fred Spoliar, 31, also of This is Rigged, said: "Every hour without the UK Government taking action to put pressure on Israel is blood on their hands.
"It's been five months - that's a lot of hours, a lot of blood. This is unforgivable."
The conflict was sparked by Hamas's deadly raid into Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and saw militants seize about 250 hostages.
Israel's retaliatory strikes have left more than 30,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
This Is Rigged and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign are calling on the public to "boycott genocide" and avoid companies and events they claim support or directly fund the Israeli state.
A UK Government spokesperson said: "We are aware of the protests and the police are in attendance.
"All of the staff in Queen Elizabeth House are safe and no-one has entered the building."
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said: "We agree that we want to see a sustained humanitarian pause agreed as quickly as possible to allow the safe release of hostages and a significant increase in aid to Gaza.
"Our position is entirely aligned with the US who, like us, are calling for a pause in the fighting.
"We have been clear, as has the US, that the right conditions, however, must be in place for a permanent, lasting ceasefire, and that includes the release of all hostages, Hamas no longer in charge in Gaza, and a bolstered Palestinian Authority."