Police have made ‘a number of arrests’ after protesters ‘breached’ Wormwood Scrubs in support of a jailed hunger striker.
Officers were deployed at the west London prison this afternoon amid reports of pro-Palestine campaigners entering a staff entrance area.
The Metropolitan Police said: ‘All those involved are currently detained and will be arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.’
The force added it would issue an update on the scale of arrests once ‘all those involved have been taken into custody’.
Footage of the incident shows protesters chanting with megaphones and banging drums as they hold signs outside the prison entrance.
The Met said the group had ‘refused to leave the grounds when ordered to do so’.
‘They allegedly blocked prison staff from entering and leaving, threatened police officers and a number managed to get inside a staff entrance area of a prison building’, a spokesman said.
The protesters are demonstrating in support of 22-year-old Umer Khalid – who is now into the second day of a thirst strike after restarting his hunger strike 15 days ago.
Footage of the incident shows protesters chanting with megaphones and banging drums as they hold signs outside the prison entrance
The Met said the group had ‘refused to leave the grounds when ordered to do so’
Officers are in the process of making a number of arrests outside HMP Wormwood Scrubs this evening.
An update on the incident and what led to the arrests can be found below: pic.twitter.com/rEhO5Ssemh
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) January 24, 2026
Khalid’s threat to life is thought to be heightened as he suffers from Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy.
He has been imprisoned since July last year allegedly in connection to events at RAF Brize Norton.
Khalid and seven others had stopped eating food in protest of the charges after they were accused of alleged break-ins and criminal damage carried out on behalf of Palestine Action.
Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello ended their action earlier this month after striking for 73, 66 and 52 days respectively.
Activists at Wormwood Scrubs tonight could be seen holding signs that read: ‘Umer Khalid speaking justice to injustice everywhere.’
In July, pro-Palestine protesters claimed responsibility for breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaging two military planes.
Palestine Action said two of its activists infiltrated Britain’s largest RAF base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft before escaping without being caught.
The Ministry of Defence said at the time it ‘strongly condemns this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets’ and that it was working closely with police.
It came just days after Palestine Action activists brazenly filmed themselves breaking in and vandalising the warehouse of a firm that supplies military items to Israel.
The protesters are demonstrating in support of 22-year-old Umer Khalid – who is now into the second day of a thirst strike after restarting his hunger strike 15 days ago
Activists at Wormwood Scrubs tonight could be seen holding signs that read: ‘Umer Khalid speaking justice to injustice everywhere’
Brize Norton is the largest RAF base in the country with approximately 5,800 service members, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors.Â
Voyagers, described as a ‘petrol station in the sky’, can carry up to 109 tonnes of fuel and are used to refuel fighter and compatible heavy aircraft.
RAF Brize Norton hold a core fleet of nine voyagers, while five others are available for commercial use but can be recalled for military purposes.
Palestine Action claimed they damaged the planes at Brize Norton as it is the base ‘where flights leave daily for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus’ – the base used for military operations in the Middle East.
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Police make arrests at Wormwood Scrubs after protesters ‘breached prison grounds’ in support of jailed pro-Palestine hunger striker