Greenpeace head arrested after anti-Israel activists dump 'blood' in embassy
What's the story
Will McCallum, head of Greenpeace in the United Kingdom, and four other activists have been arrested after they allegedly poured 80 gallons of red dye into a pond at the US Embassy in London.
The protest was to voice their protest against the ongoing war in Gaza.
The group arrived at the embassy dressed as delivery riders on bicycles and carried a container saying "Stop Arming Israel," which they emptied outside the embassy into the pond.
Justification
Greenpeace's message to the US government
Areeba Hamid, co-executive director at Greenpeace, defended the act as a clear message urging the US to stop supplying weapons to be used by Israel.
"We took this action because US weapons continue to fuel an indiscriminate war that's seen bombs dropped on schools and hospitals...and tens of thousands of Palestinian lives obliterated," she said.
Hamid added that as the largest supplier of weapons to Israel's military, "the US government bears heavy responsibility for the horrors unfolding in Gaza."
Legal repercussions
Arrests and charges
McCallum and the other activists were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause criminal damage, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The protest involved 12 activists, with some pouring non-toxic, biodegradable dye into the pond from containers labeled "Stop Arming Israel."
A spokesperson for the US embassy said the action "damaged a 1.5 million gallon water supply on the property, wasting a local environmental resource."
Twitter Post
Watch the video here
🚨 #BREAKING Just went down—Will McCallum, Greenpeace UK’s co-boss, and five other activists got nabbed after dumping 300 liters of blood-red dye into the U.S. Embassy pond in London. They rolled up sneaky, disguised as delivery riders on bikes with trailers, hauling containers… pic.twitter.com/3W9iDU0fuT
— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) April 10, 2025
Advocacy efforts
Greenpeace's call for arms embargo on Israel
"While the US Embassy supports the right to peaceful protest, we strongly condemn any acts of violence or property damage," they said.
According to Greenpeace UK, the dye used was non-toxic, biodegradable, food-grade pond dye that does not "pose any risk to people, wildlife, or the environment."
The group also said that the arrests are "further proof that the right to protest is under attack in the UK."