London, Jul 12 (IANS): Vegan activists have turned fountains in London's Trafalgar Square red, claiming that the government has "blood on their hands", a media report said.

On Saturday, the Animal Rebellion activists said that the coronavirus pandemic can be linked back to humans exploiting other creatures, as they called for an end to animal farming, the Metro newspaper reported.

The group, linked to environmental campaigners Extinction Rebellion, added that the global health crisis "could have been prevented" and that science suggests "three out of every four new infectious diseases originate from animals".

Footage of the incident on Saturday shows red-handed activists pouring dye into the fountains and holding up placards, while a small number of campaigners socially distanced from each other near the water features listening to speeches.

Police said that two people were arrested.

In a statement, Stephanie Zupan, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion, said: "The warnings from COVID-19 could not be starker.

"The government must now begin a transition towards a plant-based food system, or risk future zoonotic pandemics of catastrophic proportions."

Similar action also took place in more than 15 cities worldwide, including Chicago, Amsterdam and Barcelona, according to the organisation.