Activists briefly placed a picture of a bloodied mother and child in Gaza on a Picasso painting in the London gallery. They call for an arms embargo on Israel.
The National Gallery said two people had been arrested by police after the incident with Picasso's 1901 work Motherhood. They explained that no damage had been done, AFP reported.
The group Youth Demand said two Protestants had taped a picture of a mother and child on the protective glass over the Picasso painting.
A video posted on social media by the group shows a security guard removing the photo. One of the protesters shouts "Free, free Palestine" as he is led out of the hall and detained.
While he was on the floor, the demonstrator claimed that the UK was "complicit in the genocide" in Gaza and that there was widespread support for stopping arms sales.
The group has previously protested outside the Cenotaph war memorial in London and last year planned to disrupt the coronation of King Charles III.
The National Gallery said in a statement that two people had entered the room where the Picasso painting was located. "One was detained after initially attempting to attach what appeared to be a piece of paper to the artwork. Several paints were thrown on the floor. Police attended and arrested the two. The room is currently closed. There was no damage to any paintings," the release added.
Last month, two climate activists from the group Just Stop Oil were sentenced to 20 months and two years in prison for throwing soup at Vincent van Gogh's painting Sunflowers at the National Gallery.
Several other paintings have been the subject of protests by climate change groups. | BGNES
