London police arrest dozens backing pro-Palestinian hunger strikers outside prison

British police arrested 86 people after a demonstration outside a London prison held in solidarity with a Palestine Action–associated activist on hunger strike, authorities said.

The Metropolitan Police stated that officers were called to Wormwood Scrubs Prison late on Saturday after demonstrators gathered at the site and refused to disperse despite being instructed to leave the area.

Umer Khalid, a 22-year-old pro-Palestinian activist being held at Wormwood Scrubs prison, has been on hunger strike for 16 days, after resuming the protest he began in November. He temporarily halted the strike in December following a serious deterioration in his health.

Police alleged that demonstrators at the prison obstructed staff movements, issued threats toward officers, and that several protesters gained access to a staff-only entrance within the facility.

Video footage verified by Al Jazeera shows officers forcing protesters to the ground, restraining them with handcuffs, and using kettling tactics to contain the crowd. In one clip, a woman can be heard shouting at police, questioning why she was being assaulted.

Authorities said those detained were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

Khalid told Al Jazeera last week that he intended to intensify his protest by refusing all fluids from Saturday, the same day the demonstration took place.

His mother, Shabana Khalid, said after speaking to him by phone on Monday that prison authorities have stationed a guard outside his cell due to concerns over his condition. She added that he is undergoing hourly medical checks.

“It’s reassuring to know he’s being watched closely,” she said, “but it’s still frightening that he continues the hunger strike. He’s clearly growing weaker—you can hear it in his voice.”

Umer Khalid is part of a five-member group accused of breaking into Brize Norton, the UK’s largest airbase in Oxfordshire, in June, where they allegedly spray-painted two Voyager refueling and transport aircraft. All five have pleaded not guilty.

Palestine Action, the pro-Palestinian protest group linked to the incident, said two of its members were involved, adding that red paint “symbolising Palestinian bloodshed” was sprayed on the runway and a Palestine flag was left at the site.

Following the incident, the UK government banned the group under anti-terrorism legislation, making it illegal to support or promote its activities. The move, challenged in court and condemned by the United Nations as “unjustified,” has sparked numerous protests across the country, resulting in hundreds of arrests.

Continuing hunger strikes

In addition to Umer Khalid, seven other activists have taken part in rolling hunger strikes since November. Khalid became the sole protester continuing to refuse food after three participants ended their strikes earlier this month, saying one of their demands had been met when a UK-based subsidiary of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems was denied a government contract.

The Prisoners for Palestine Group described the hunger strike as a defining act of resistance, calling it “a landmark moment of pure defiance” and an embarrassment for the British state.

Two of the prisoners who halted their hunger strikes, Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed, were reportedly close to death after more than two months without eating. Speaking to Al Jazeera shortly before ending her protest, Muraisi said she believed it was “important to fight for justice and for freedom”.

The group’s demands include bail, fair trial rights, the removal of Palestine Action from the UK’s proscribed organisations list, and the closure of Elbit facilities in the UK. They have also accused prison authorities of censorship, alleging restrictions on mail, phone calls, access to books and visitation.

Before escalating his protest on Saturday by refusing all fluids, Khalid told Al Jazeera that drastic measures were the only way to draw attention.

“The strike reflects how severe this imprisonment is,” he said. “This is not living. Our lives are on hold while the world moves on, and we remain confined in concrete cells. The hunger strike mirrors the seriousness of my demands.”