Pro-Palestinian group claims responsibility for covering BBC's London headquarters in red paint

A pro-Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for covering the entrance of the BBC's New Broadcasting House building in London with red paint.

The paint spans the glass doors, wall and pavement outside the broadcaster's London headquarters, as well as its Hanover Building in Liverpool city centre.

Palestine Action posted on X, formerly Twitter, to say it was behind the paint stunt.

The group said: "Palestine Action left a message overnight for the BBC: spreading the occupation's lies and manufacturing consent for Israel's war crimes means that you have Palestinian blood on your hands."

In a further statement, the group accused the BBC of being complicit in "manufacturing consent for the occupation's genocide of Palestinians".

A spokesperson for Palestine Action added: "We at Palestine Action cannot stand by and let Western media justify and manufacture consent for genocide through racist, callous coverage."

Latest:
Thousands attend pro-Palestine march in London

Police officers have been seen standing guard outside the building, while barriers were placed in front of the entrance.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are aware of criminal damage to a building in Portland Place, W1A."

The BBC has faced criticism in recent days for not describing Hamas militants as terrorists in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

Images of the paint were initially shared on social media by a number of BBC employees, including presenter Victoria Derbyshire, who posted a video of the scene on X.

BBC radio presenter and DJ Edward Adoo also posted on social media on Saturday morning, saying: "Just got to the BBC the main entrance [which] is blocked... someone sprayed red paint at the entrance.

"Regardless of your view on what's going on this is not the way. Props to the security team on duty tonight."

The BBC has declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the Met Police.

It's not the first time that Palestine Action has defaced property for its cause.

The same group squirted tomato ketchup on a statue of former prime minister Arthur Balfour in the House of Parliament last November.

Lord Balfour was behind the Balfour Declaration - a 1917 document which pledged the formation of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.