A 22-year-old Palestine Action activist, accused of vandalising RAF aircraft in a major security breach, has been caught rallying anti-Israel protesters from inside prison, using a smuggled mobile phone to broadcast messages to supporters gathered outside.
Muhammad Umer Khalid, currently on remand for offences linked to a break-in at RAF Brize Norton, was heard addressing crowds outside Wormwood Scrubs in a series of videos obtained by The Telegraph. His voice, amplified by a megaphone, rang out across the protest as he urged his followers to “keep fighting” despite his imprisonment.
‘As Long As We Keep Fighting, We Keep Winning’
In one clip, Khalid can be heard telling the crowd:
“We can’t let things like being in prison stop us from achieving what we’ve always wanted. It’s our victory. We’ve pushed the state to the point of vulnerability.”
He continued:
“As long as we live, we win. If they kill us, we win. As long as we keep fighting, we keep winning. That’s how it’s always been and always will be.”
At one point, he asked demonstrators to “let out one big massive scream” before inviting them to join him in prayer, saying it was “nice to know that you guys are praying on the outside at the same time as me.”
The recordings reportedly made 10 days ago have triggered outrage and renewed scrutiny over prison security, particularly around access to phones and monitoring of inmates charged with politically motivated offences.
Calls for Answers Over ‘Security Farce’
The timing could not be worse for the Government. The scandal comes just days after convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker, was mistakenly released from prison rather than transferred to a deportation centre, prompting a two-day police manhunt.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick blasted the situation as “a total and utter farce.”
“Muhammad Umer Khalid is in jail charged with offences in relation to the break-in at an RAF base by the terrorist organisation Palestine Action,” Jenrick said.
“Khalid managed to get hold of a phone and used it to rant and rave to his supporters. Calamity Lammy has lost control of our prisons.”
‘Demanding Justice’ Outside Wormwood Scrubs
On October 17, dozens of Khalid’s supporters gathered outside the West London prison, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans including “We don’t want no two states. Palestine ‘48!” and “Allahu Akbar.”
Videos from the demonstration show activists draped in Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, waving banners that accused the UK Government of “religious discrimination” against Khalid and demanding his release.
Khalid faces serious charges relating to the £7 million vandalism of two RAF Voyager aircraft, allegedly carried out during a break-in at RAF Brize Norton earlier this year.
Although Palestine Action has since been designated a proscribed terrorist organisation under UK law, meaning association with it can carry a maximum 14-year prison sentence, the charges against Khalid pre-date the ban.
Prison Service Response
A spokesperson for the Prison Service confirmed that misuse of any prison telephone system or possession of unauthorised communication devices is taken extremely seriously.
“Misuse of a prison pay phone is a serious breach,” they said. “Prisoners who do so will face penalties and could lose access.”
Despite that assurance, questions remain over how a high-profile terrorism suspect was able to make such a public statement from inside one of Britain’s most secure prisons and what that says about the system’s current state of control.
