The 18-year-old protester disrupted the elite men’s raceNewsAlex Driscoll, Rosie Shead, Beverley Rouse, Charlotte Ambrose, Christopher McKeon, PA and Alex Driscoll Breaking news reporter
11:49, 27 Apr 2025
Two activists threw power paint during the London Marathon.(Image: PA)
A teenager from Bristol was named by Youth Demand as one of two activists who disrupted the men’s elite race at the London Marathon today, Sunday, April 27.
Youth Demand named the two activists as Willow Holland, 18, from Bristol, and Cristy North, a live-in carer from Nottingham.
The activists threw powder paint on Tower Bridge at around 10.35am this morning.
The pair were both arrested by the police.
Protest group Youth Demand wants a trade embargo on Israel.
Miss Holland was quoted by the group as saying: “I am taking action with Youth Demand because I have run out of other options.
“Thousands are being killed in Gaza, our Government is making no effort to stop it and no other course of action, marches or rallies, has worked. I refuse to be complicit in a genocide funded by our politicians.”
The activists were swiftly taken off Tower Bridge as the men’s elite racers looks on.(Image: PA)
Ms North was quoted as saying: “I’m taking action today at the London marathon because the people in Palestine are running out of time.
“We have tried all other avenues to get the Government to stop arming Israel and yet our Government is still enabling a genocide.
“They are making the UK people complicit in breaking UK domestic law by using our taxes to arm a genocidal state, breaking humanitarian international law.”
Eight police officers rushed onto Tower Bridge to escort the activists away.
The BBC TV feed cut to the elite men’s race moments after the leaders had crossed Tower Bridge and there appeared to be no impact on the race.
An image shared by Youth Demand shows two people standing in the middle of the road wearing t-shirts that said “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”