Office building in Manchester targeted with red paint by pro-Palestine group

A pro-Palestine group says it targeted an office block in Manchester city centre housing insurance firm Allianz overnight.

Photographs from the scene on Tuesday morning show the entrance to the Landmark building off St Peter's Square on Oxford Street covered in red paint.

Damage to glass doors and windows was also visible.

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Palestine Action said it has targeted 10 British offices of Allianz, one of the world's largest insurance firms, as part of a protest against weapons firm Elbit.

The group said buildings were spray-painted red 'in a symbol of the Palestinian bloodshed'. One Allianz office building in Guildford, west Surrey, was also said by the group to be 'occupied' with protestors today.

Palestine Action said the vandal attacks were part of what it called an 'ongoing campaign' against Israel's biggest weapons firm, Elbit Systems. Buildings were targeted elsewhere in Glasgow; Lancaster; Belfast; London; Birmingham; Bristol and Milton Keynes.

It's the latest in a series of red paint attacks across the country, with other office buildings and companies in Manchester being targeted previously.

An Allianz spokesperson said: "We have had disruption overnight at several of our offices. The safety and security of our colleagues is paramount and we have closed these sites today. Our operations and service to customers and clients are unaffected. As this is an ongoing police matter we have no further comment at this stage."

Greater Manchester Police said officers were called at 5am.

A spokesperson said: "At around 5am this morning (8 October), we received reports of criminal damage to a building on Oxford Street, Manchester. Officers