{"id":389045,"date":"2026-01-25T03:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T03:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/389045\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T03:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T03:22:11","slug":"police-make-arrests-at-wormwood-scrubs-after-protesters-breached-prison-grounds-in-support-of-jailed-pro-palestine-hunger-striker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/389045\/","title":{"rendered":"Police make arrests at Wormwood Scrubs after protesters ‘breached prison grounds’ in support of jailed pro-Palestine hunger striker"},"content":{"rendered":"

By NOOR QURASHI, NEWS REPORTER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 18:18 EST, 24 January 2026 | Updated: 21:04 EST, 24 January 2026 <\/p>\n

Police have made ‘a number of arrests’ after protesters ‘breached’ Wormwood Scrubs in support of a jailed\u00a0hunger striker.<\/p>\n

Officers were deployed at the west London<\/a> prison this afternoon amid reports of pro-Palestine campaigners entering a staff entrance area.<\/p>\n

The Metropolitan Police<\/a>\u00a0said: ‘All those involved are currently detained and will be arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.’<\/p>\n

The force added it would issue an update on the scale of arrests once ‘all those involved have been taken into custody’.<\/p>\n

Footage of the incident shows protesters chanting with megaphones and banging drums as they hold signs outside the prison entrance.<\/p>\n

The Met said the group had ‘refused to leave the grounds when ordered to do so’.<\/p>\n

‘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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Footage <\/p>\n

Footage of the incident shows protesters chanting with megaphones and banging drums as they hold signs outside the prison entrance<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Met said the group had ‘refused to leave the grounds when ordered to do so’<\/p>\n

Officers are in the process of making a number of arrests outside HMP Wormwood Scrubs this evening. <\/p>\n

An update on the incident and what led to the arrests can be found below: pic.twitter.com\/rEhO5Ssemh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) January 24, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Khalid’s threat to life is thought to be heightened as he suffers from Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy.<\/p>\n

He has been imprisoned since July last year allegedly in connection to events at RAF Brize Norton.<\/p>\n

Khalid and seven others\u00a0had 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.<\/p>\n

Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello ended their action earlier this month after striking for 73, 66 and 52 days respectively.<\/p>\n

Activists at Wormwood Scrubs tonight could be seen holding signs that read: ‘Umer Khalid speaking justice to injustice everywhere.’<\/p>\n

In July, pro-Palestine\u00a0protesters claimed responsibility for breaking into RAF<\/a>\u00a0Brize Norton and damaging two military planes.<\/p>\n

Palestine<\/a>\u00a0Action 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

\"Activists <\/p>\n

Activists at Wormwood Scrubs tonight could be seen holding signs that read: ‘Umer Khalid speaking justice to injustice everywhere’<\/p>\n

Brize Norton is the largest RAF base in the country with approximately 5,800 service members, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\n Police make arrests at Wormwood Scrubs after protesters ‘breached prison grounds’ in support of jailed pro-Palestine hunger striker<\/p>\n