Over 80 arrested as protesters storm London prison in support of Palestine Action hunger striker
Dozens of protesters stormed the grounds of a west London prison on Saturday in support of Palestine Action activist Muhammed Umer Khalid, who has escalated his hunger strike to a thirst strike after 14 days.
Footage from the protest shows demonstrators chanting, banging drums, and waving Palestinian flags.
Some activists briefly entered west London's Wormwood Scrubs prison and blocked entrances, while others held signs reading, “Umer Khalid speaking justice to injustice everywhere.”
Protesters said they were demanding fair treatment for Khalid, who has been held in custody for over a year without trial.
“We’re here in solidarity with Umer Khalid, who has been locked up for many months now. The treatment he’s receiving is inhumane. All we’re asking is that he gets equal and fair treatment like any other prisoner,” one demonstrator said.
Another activist added, “Umer is in a very critical situation. Today is the 15th day of his second hunger strike and the second day of his thirst strike. He was transferred to an isolated cell yesterday, and we don’t know his condition right now.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed 86 arrests were made, with protesters charged for refusing to leave the prison grounds and obstructing prison staff.
“All those involved will be arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. A number managed to get inside a staff entrance area of a prison building,” a police spokesperson said.
The Ministry of Justice described the incident as an “escalation” and “completely unacceptable,” adding that “at no point was prison security compromised.”
Khalid, 22, suffers from limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic condition, and has been on a “highly dangerous” thirst strike. He is currently held on remand awaiting trial over acts of direct action against an RAF base in Oxfordshire (Brize Norton), charges he denies.
He is calling for immediate bail, an end to censorship in prison, and a full inquiry into British involvement in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
Khalid also demands the release of surveillance footage from British Royal Air Force (RAF) spy flights over Gaza on April 1, 2024, when British aid workers were killed in an Israeli attack. He said he only escalated to a thirst strike after his attempts to engage the government on these issues were ignored.
In December, Khalid paused a 12-day hunger strike due to his declining health. His trial is scheduled for January 2027, by which time he will have spent a year and a half in prison.
Campaigners have warned that Khalid could die if the UK government continues to ignore his extreme protest.
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