Buckingham Palace fountains covered in ‘blood’ red paint by Animal Rebellion protesters

Arrests made amid protests by sister group to Extinction Rebellion

Animal rights activists have been arrested after dyeing the iconic Buckingham Palace fountains blood red in a protest against use of crown land for hunting and animal agriculture.

Animal Rebellion is protesting the revelations in a recent news story that found that the Queen’s lawyers secretly lobbied Scottish ministers to change a draft law to exempt her private land from an initiative to cut carbon emissions.

A Met Police statement said: “A number of activists have vandalised the Victoria Memorial water feature outside Buckingham Palace. We are on the scene and arrests have been made. The suspects are being taken to custody.”

Harley McDonald-Eckersall, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion said: “The crown estate is the biggest landowner in the UK and they choose to use this land for animal agriculture and hunting, which not only decimates our environment but causes the deaths of millions of lives every year. It’s time for a new system based on justice and compassion and the royal family should be leading the way.”

Animal Rebellion is a separate yet sister organisation to Extinction Rebellion, which is undertaking a massive fortnight-long protest against the global climate crisis in London.

The fountains outside the palace are a major draw for tourists (Animal Rebellion)

Animal Rebellion and other animal rights groups have targeted the royals in the past because of their support of hunting, racing and the fur trade.

“Crown land should be used to grow healthy, nutritious food for all and to provide homes for the animals we share this country with,” McDonald-Eckersall added.

“We are demanding that the Queen end the use of crown land for industries which are contributing to the climate and ecological emergency and the death of animals.”

Met Police confirmed arrestes were made (Animal Rebellion/Nik Gupta)

In July seven Animal Rebellion activists were arrested after protesters barricaded a McDonald’s factory.

Protesters were at the site in Scunthorpe for more than 48 hours, preventing products leaving the factory in a bid to get the fast-food giant to move to an entirely “plant-based food menu by 2025”.

Dozens of activists set up a blockade using trucks, tents and bamboo structures and locked onto one another to stop the facility from distributing burgers.