Pro-Palestine activists smash windows and throw blood red paint over group they claim is 'landlord to IDF arms dealers' - as four are arrested

Four people have been arrested after Pro-Palestinian activists smashed windows and daubed paint over a business they accused of renting land to an arms factor that sends weapons to the IDF

The activists, three men in their late 20s and early 30s, as well as a 20-year-old woman, are being held on suspicion of causing criminal damage after the office building in Birmingham was vandalised at 7am today.

Several windows were smashed and the doors covered in 'blood red paint' at Number 55 Colmore Row by protesters from Palestine Action.

The group said they were targeting LondonMetric, a FTSE-listed property company, alleging it was in partnership with Israel's largest weapons company Elbit Systems.

Palestine Action posted on X, formerly Twitter: 'Palestine Action spray, smash and shut down the landlords of Leicester's Israeli weapons factory!

'London Metric have Palestinian blood on their hands.'

The group shared a video of two activists that seemingly pinned themselves to the floor of the company's property. 

While one was seen lighting a cigarette, another said in an impassioned speech: 'LondonMetric has blood on their hands. They are the landlords of Elbit Systems who make drones that kill children in hospitals and schools.

'They are accomplices in war crimes, in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.'

West Midlands Police have placed a cordon around the scene near to Birmingham Cathedral and the city's Frankfurt Christmas Market.

A force spokesperson said: 'We've arrested four people on suspicion of criminal damage in Birmingham city centre this morning (27 November).

'We were called to an office building on Colmore Row, Birmingham at around 7am to reports that a group of people were at the location and had thrown paint at the building.

'A number of windows have been broken and what we believe to be paint has been daubed on the building.

'[They] have been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and are currently in custody.'

LondonMetric has been approached for comment.

Down in London, the Metropolitan Police last weekend braced for another heavy weekend of protests in the capital this weekend, with more than 150,000 people attending the seventh week of demonstrations in a row. 

Some 1,500 police officers were in duty, including 500 from outside London as both pro-Palestinian and antisemitism protests were held. There was also demonstration from Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir outside the Egyptian Embassy.

The Metropolitan Police insisted that it will be safe for Jewish people to come into London over the weekend. 

A 90-minute march organised by the volunteer-led charity Campaign Against Antisemitism took place on Sunday, with many famous faces including Rachel Riley, Eddie Marsan and former PM Boris Johnson, all making appearances.