VIDEO: Protesters Paint and Cut Balfour's Portrait at Cambridge University

Participants of the British Palestine Action movement have vandalized a portrait of former Prime Minister (1902-1905) and UK Foreign Secretary (1916-1919) Arthur Balfour, which was hanging on the wall of Trinity College, Cambridge University. This was reported by Sky News, with information provided by TASS.

As seen in the video, the vandals initially painted the canvas with red paint, and then cut it using a sharp object. This painting was created in 1914 by Anglo-Hungarian painter Philip Alexius de László (1869-1937).

With this action, the activists condemned Balfour's longstanding actions aimed at establishing a Jewish state. The 'Balfour Declaration' was published on November 2, 1917. The document, sent to British Jewish community representative Walter Rothschild, states that London is favorably disposed towards 'the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people and will use its best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this objective.'

UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden condemned the actions of the vandals. 'Those responsible must face the full force of the law,' he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). John Woodcock, an advisor to the government on issues of political violence, called the act of the pro-Palestinian activists outrageous. 'We should not tolerate those protesters who think they can escape from the reckless defacement of art,' he noted.

Cambridge Police have reported that no individuals involved in the incident have been arrested yet. The leadership of Trinity College stated that they 'regret the damage caused to the portrait.'