Two members of a fringe anti-Israel group found themselves in police custody after their attempt to disrupt the London Marathon on Sunday.

According to the BBC, Willow Holland, 18, from Bristol, and Cristy North from Nottingham jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge around 10:35am. Representing a group called Youth Demand, the pair wore t-shirts emblazoned with “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel” and threw red powder paint across the path as runners approached.

Marathon security responded with remarkable efficiency with a quick-thinking official leaping from his motorcycle to tackle the protesters. Metropolitan Police officers arrived shortly afterwards to arrest both individuals.

“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the elite race which was able to pass unobstructed,” the Metropolitan Police confirmed in a statement. “The paint appears to be chalk-based and is not expected to present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point.”

Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, expressed disappointment at over the incident.

“It’s very disappointing that two people attempted to disrupt the London Marathon which does so much good, raises so many millions for charity, brings so much joy and brings communities together,” he said.

After their arrests, Youth Demand published statements from both protesters filled with inflammatory antisemitic rhetoric.

“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,” Holland’s statement reads.

Similarly, North claimed “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.”

Thankfully, their protest failed to significantly impact the event, which saw a record 56,000 runners participate in the marathon’s 45th edition. Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe ultimately claimed victory over four-time champion Eliud Kipchoge while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a new women-only world record.