BBC head office in London daubed in 'blood-red paint' and windows smashed by pro-Palestine group

Palestine Action took responsibility of the attack, saying its members had targeted the broadcasters’ headquarters in London’s Portland Place. According to police, the incident took place at around 2.50am on Monday (February 17).

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the group said: “The headquarters of the BBC have been covered in blood-red paint to symbolise the Corporation’s responsibility for the blood spilled in Gaza and the BBC’s role in whitewashing Israeli atrocities through its partial and biased coverage.

“For years, the BBC has consistently minimised Israel’s violence against Palestinians while amplifying the narratives of the oppressors, perpetuating a deadly cycle of misinformation and false equivalency. The BBC stands accused of ‘manufacturing consent’ for Israel’s genocide, including by BBC staff themselves.

“Today’s actions mark the second time Palestine Action has targeted the BBC since the onset of Israel’s genocidal response to the Al Aqsa Flood operation, a return necessary due to the BBC’s deeply-entrenched complicity in enabling Israeli apartheid and genocide is a deeply entrenched issue. The BBC’s repeated failure to provide a platform for Palestinian voices, or to accurately represent the scale of Israel’s violence has played a critical part in shaping public perception, allowing the continued suffering and displacement of Palestinians to go largely unchallenged in the media.

“The BBC’s biased reporting isn’t a simple case of poor journalism – it’s a matter of life and death. By downplaying Israeli war crimes, the BBC is complicit in the genocide unfolding in Gaza,” said a spokesperson for Palestine Action. “This isn’t just about the news – it’s about the role of the media in shaping global complicity. The BBC has blood on its hands, and today’s action is part of a wider campaign to hold them accountable. We will not stand by as the BBC sanitises genocide.“

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Police were called at around 2.50am on Monday, 17 February to reports of criminal damage to a building in Portland Place W1. Red paint had been sprayed on the wall of the building and glass doors smashed.

“No arrest has been made and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 617/17Feb.”

The BBC has not commented on the attack.