Twickenham vandalised as military vehicles event gets under way

Twickenham was vandalized with red paint and “Free Gaza” spray painted on the walls on Tuesday morning after a protest against a military vehicle event held at the stadium.

Protesters gathered outside England's rugby stadium on Monday and shouted “The RFU is covered in Palestinian blood” as the convention got underway.

The stadium was then tagged in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Protest group Palestinian action claimed responsibility for the act.

International Armored Vehicles – a three-day convention – claims to be the “premier global meeting place for the armored vehicle community,” with Israel-based military technology company Elbit Systems Ltd. among the event's attendees.

Around 1,000 delegates from 40 countries are expected at the event at the stadium.

Anti-war posters were held up by demonstrators and included slogans such as “Drop the targets, not the bombs” and “Tanks out of Twickenham”.

In a statement, the RFU confirmed that police were investigating the incident.

“The Metropolitan Police are investigating after red paint was sprayed on the side of Twickenham Stadium. Inquiries are ongoing,” an RFU spokesperson said.