Israel-Gaza protest at the US embassy: what you need to know

What happened?

Activists from Greenpeace UK poured blood-red dye into the pond at the US embassy in London.

The red dye The dye used in the protest is a non-toxic, biodegradable, food-grade pond dye. It doesn’t pose any risk to people, wildlife or the environment. highlights the death and devastation caused in Gaza as a direct result of the US’ continued sale of weapons, ammunition and military hardware to Israel.

Greenpeace UK is urging the US and UK governments to stop selling arms to Israel immediately.

Why we took action

• The war in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster. Since the horrific Hamas attacks on October 7 2023, and Israel’s retaliation, over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children. Vital aid has been blocked by the Israeli government, while schools, hospitals and refugee camps have been bombed.
  
• Israel’s war relies on America’s weapons. The US showed that it has the power to stop the killing, when it enforced a ceasefire in February. But even after Israel broke the ceasefire, Donald Trump kept supplying weapons to Israel, approving nearly $12 billion in military sales since January. The US supplies two-thirds of all of Israel’s arms imports.
  
• The UK is also to blame: The UK government has sold almost £500 million worth of military hardware to Israel since 2015. It suspended 30 of its 350 arms export licences to Israel in September last year. But this didn’t go far enough – crucial F-35 fighter jet parts were excluded. Even government ministers have raised concerns about Israel’s actions, but the UK’s official position hasn’t changed.
  
• This can’t go on. Unless something changes, more loss of life, more horrific stories and more haunting images are inevitable. It’s time to stop the killing.

Background info

• Crimes against humanity: UN experts have urged governments to stop providing weapons to Israel, warning that they could be enabling war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court. Many leading institutions and human rights experts have described the Israeli offensive as a genocide.
  
• Plans for Gaza: Israel has declared its intention to ‘seize’ areas of Gaza permanently. And the Trump administration has spoken about removing the Palestinian population in order to redevelop Gaza into ‘the Riviera of the Middle East’.
  
• Other countries’ arms embargoes: Spain, Canada and Belgium and the Netherlands have banned or restricted arms sales to Israel.
  
• Public opinion: A majority in both the US (52%) and UK (58%) agree that their respective governments should halt arms sales to Israel while the conflict in Gaza is ongoing. 70% of Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to resign. They want a ceasefire and hostages to be returned.
  
• Environmental destruction: The bombing of Gaza has also left rivers of sewage, dirty, undrinkable water, contaminated land, and toxic air. Experts are warning that the conflict will leave the land uninhabitable.
  
• No green without peace. From its origins standing against nuclear weapons tests, Greenpeace has a proud history of anti-war campaigning. In 2022, we called on the UK government to stop buying the Russian gas that funds the war in Ukraine. In 2003, we stood against the Iraq war and exposed dangerous UK-Saudi arms links, while our Spanish office campaigned against weapons exports to Saudi Arabia.

Greenpeace’s approach to protest

For Greenpeace, actions like this are a last resort, and the decision to stage a protest is never taken lightly. 

When you see a government or company being targeted by our activists, it’s a sure sign that they’re refusing to stop harming people and nature despite coming under huge pressure to do so. 

As with all our protests, this one was carefully planned by highly trained activists and staff, with all security and safety risks considered and mitigated.

• Activists wore Greenpeace-branded clothing to show who they were and immediately signal that this was a peaceful protest.
  
• A separate team approached and liaised with the embassy security staff, explaining what we were doing and why, and assuring them that we posed no threat to anyone or the building.
  
• The dye used in the protest is a non-toxic, biodegradable, food-grade pond dye. It doesn’t pose any risk to people, wildlife or the environment.