UK activists disrupt London Marathon to protest Gaza genocide

Two activists disrupted the London Marathon on Sunday morning to draw urgent attention to the unfolding famine and genocide in Gaza, as Israel’s siege pushes the territory deeper into mass starvation. According to a report by London’s LBC, the activists - named as Willow Holland, 18, from Bristol, and Cristy North, a live-in carer from Nottingham - jumped the barriers at Tower Bridge around 10:30am, throwing red powder paint and wearing t-shirts reading "Stop Arming Israel". The pair sat down in front of the men's elite runners, momentarily halting the race before they were quickly removed and arrested by City of London police. The action was organised by Youth Demand, a campaign group connected to Just Stop Oil, who said in a statement that the protest aimed to highlight the "race against time to save Gaza", where over 61,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than a million face catastrophic hunger due to Israel’s blockade and bombardment. "We will not stand by while Gaza is starved to death," the group said. "Children are dying of hunger today, right now, while governments like Britain continue to arm Israel."