Rishi Sunak's visit to the West Midlands has been hit by pro-Palestine demonstrators, GB News understands, as police have swooped in to barricade a venue at which he was speaking.
Police motorcyclists formed a guard in front of the South Staffordshire College in Cannock and delayed his entry, with protesters heard chanting "free, free Palestine".
As the PM's motorcade turned up at the college, protesters could be seen standing on the roadside holding banners and placards reading "Sunak supports genocide", "free Palestine", and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Police had to intervene to stop a number of protesters running up to Sunak's car as it came to a halt, with onlookers describing the situation as "tense".
Rishi Sunak's visit to the West Midlands was mobbed by pro-Palestine demonstrators
PA/Pool
GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope, at the scene, said: "There is a situation now at the last Sunak visit in the West Midlands... A big Palestinian protest has formed at his last location.
"Police motorcyclists have formed a guard in front of the venue."
Locals were seen surrounding the entrance to the college, while lines of police officers separated crowds from the venue.
With campaigning only having kicked off two days ago, these protests mark a continuation of pro-Palestine activism which may blight both major parties' hopes of a smooth run-up to the election.
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Protesters swarmed the PM's motorcade
Pool
Just yesterday, offices at the University of Oxford were locked down after pro-Palestinian protesters staged a sit-in at Wellington Square.
Students staged demonstrations with banners demanding the university to "disclose all finances", "divest from Israeli genocide, apartheid, and occupation", and "support Palestinian-led rebuilding of education in Gaza".
While in the capital, a cinema showing a documentary film about the October 7 Hamas terror attacks was vandalised by pro-Palestine protesters - sparking counter-protests and a police probe.
The PM's stop in Cannock follows a whirlwind tour of the country in which he has already visited Derbyshire, Cardiff, the Scottish Highlands and Belfast.
On the flight from Belfast to the West Midlands, Sunak said he was "up for the fight".
He said: "I love doing this. I’ve been doing it since the beginning of the year, I've been out and about pretty much two, three days a week since the beginning of the year and I love it.
"I love talking to people, I love having the debate, I love having the Q&A with people, answering their questions, making sure they know what I’m about and I’m really confident that over the next few weeks we’re going to have a really good conversation as a country about the future we want."
GB News has approached Staffordshire Police for comment.
