Oxford Circus Tube station was evacuated today after anti-Islamic State protesters blockaded ticket barriers.
The station was closed off when between 30 and 50 pro-Kurdish demonstrators occupied it at about 1.30pm.
Witnesses said there were angry exchanges between the protesters and people hoping to travel through the station, which Transport for London said reopened at about 2pm.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">After blockading the ticket barriers there is now a Kurdish protest under <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OxfordCircus?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/OxfordCircus?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#OxfordCircus</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&id=222025&p=http://t.co/AuvUkVOjk2" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-http://t.co/AuvUkVOjk2" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/AuvUkVOjk2</a>— Richard Main (@RPMain) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RPMain/status/519105279569719296" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-https://twitter.com/RPMain/status/519105279569719296" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 6, 2014</a>
Journalist Richard Main, tweeted: "TfL staff appeared to be taken by surprise by protest. Alarm only sounded when protesters went down to platforms."
TfL later said the station had been closed due to a "customer incident".
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">TFL staff appeared to be taken by surprise by protest. Alarm only sounded when protestors went down to platforms <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&id=222025&p=http://t.co/Wb6Klw4ZCD" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-http://t.co/Wb6Klw4ZCD" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/Wb6Klw4ZCD</a>— Richard Main (@RPMain) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RPMain/status/519107344824033280" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-https://twitter.com/RPMain/status/519107344824033280" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 6, 2014</a>
Footage from the scene showed demonstrators chanting "Unite against Isis" as they blockaded the station.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Video of Kurdish anti-ISIS blockade of ticket barriers at Oxford Circus <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/oxfordcircus?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/oxfordcircus?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#oxfordcircus</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&id=222025&p=https://t.co/V4F85iFRfb" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-https://t.co/V4F85iFRfb" data-vars-event-id="c23">https://t.co/V4F85iFRfb</a>— Richard Main (@RPMain) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RPMain/status/519108085571653632" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-167501-https://twitter.com/RPMain/status/519108085571653632" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 6, 2014</a>
They were also seen bearing flags expressing support for Kobani in Syria where Isis militants have launched attacks in recent days.
British Transport Police said no one was arrested at the scene and protesters were "escorted on to a train".
A spokesman said: “Shortly before 1.30pm on Monday, 6 October, our officers were alerted to a group of around 30 protesters inside Oxford Circus London Underground station.
“The station was closed for a short period, but re-opened shortly before 2pm. Officers accompanied the protesters onto a train, which then left the station.”
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