Greenpeace activists arrested in London after red dye poured into U.S. Embassy pond

LONDON — Police in London arrested six people Thursday after environmental activists from Greenpeace poured 300 liters (79 gallons) of blood-red dye into a pond in front of the U.S. Embassy in a protest against arms sales to Israel.

The Metropolitan Police said the six people had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and conspiracy to cause criminal damage. It added that there was “no breach or attempted breach of the secure perimeter” of the embassy building, as the pond was accessible via a public footpath.

Greenpeace U.K. said 12 of its activists tipped “non-toxic, biodegradable dye from containers emblazoned with the words Stop Arming Israel” into the pond.

In a statement, the independent global campaigning network said its U.K. co-executive director, Will McCallum, was among those arrested after the protest, which was aimed at highlighting “the death and devastation caused in Gaza as a direct result of the U.S.’s continued sale of weapons to Israel.”

It said the containers of dye were delivered to the embassy on bicycles with trailers disguised as delivery bikes.

The embassy said the protest had “damaged a 1.5 million gallon [4.5 million liters] water supply on the property, wasting a local environmental resource.”