UK police arrest 86 after protesters breach Wormwood Scrubs prison grounds

Protest at London prison ends with mass arrests

Police said 86 people were arrested after protesters breached the grounds of HMP Wormwood Scrubs in west London during a demonstration in support of a Palestine Action-linked activist reported to be on hunger strike. According to Sky News, the Metropolitan Police said the group refused to leave when instructed and were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

The Met also alleged that protesters blocked prison staff from entering or leaving and that some managed to get into a staff entrance area of a prison building. Sky News reported that the demonstrators were understood not to have got past security, even as police described the incident as disruptive and requiring enforcement action.

What police said happened on the grounds

In its update, the police said the group had been told to leave the prison grounds but refused. The force also said officers were threatened during the operation. The arrests, made on suspicion of aggravated trespass, capped a tense episode that brought additional attention to the protest campaign and to prison security protocols for staff access points.

The incident highlights how demonstrations tied to high-profile political campaigns can quickly shift from public protest to police-managed enforcement events when demonstrators enter restricted areas. It also underlines the operational sensitivity of prisons, where staff movements and controlled access are central to safety and daily functioning.

• 86 arrests reported by the Metropolitan Police
• Arrests were on suspicion of aggravated trespass
• Police said some protesters reached a staff entrance area but did not get past security