In an unprecedented intervention, London’s Metropolitan Police forcibly entered a Quaker meeting house in Westminster on Thursday evening, arresting six activists affiliated with Youth Demand, a group known for its protests against the war in Gaza.
The Quakers in Britain have condemned the raid as a stark illustration of the increasing criminalisation of protest in the UK.
“No one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory,” stated Paul Parker, the recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, who decried what he described as an “aggressive violation” of their place of worship.
The police action, involving more than 20 uniformed officers, some armed with tasers, saw the front door of the meeting house forcibly opened without warning. Youth Demand, an independent activist group renting a room for their meeting, was reportedly discussing plans for nonviolent civil resistance when officers stormed in and detained six women.
The following day, additional arrests were made, bringing the total number of detained activists to ten. None have been charged.
The Metropolitan Police justified their actions by citing Youth Demand’s plans to “shut down” London with mass protests in May. “While we recognise the right to protest, we have a responsibility to intervene to prevent activity that crosses the line from protest into serious disruption and other criminality,” a police spokesperson stated.
However, critics argue that the forceful suppression of activists highlights the UK government’s increasing intolerance of public dissent. The Public Order Act 2023, described by UN human rights chief Volker Türk as “deeply troubling,” has granted police sweeping powers to curtail demonstrations. The law criminalises certain protest tactics, imposing what human rights organisations call “undue restrictions” on the right to peaceful assembly.
Youth Demand has drawn controversy for its disruptive tactics but insists its protests remain peaceful. The group calls on the UK government to halt trade with Israel and raise taxes on the wealthy to fund climate reparations. Recent actions include staging a demonstration outside the home of Labour leader Keir Starmer, displaying children’s shoes and a banner reading “Stop the killing” in Gaza.
The London arrests come amid a wider pattern of intensifying suppression of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with striking parallels to police crackdowns on student protests in the United States. Some legal analysts argue that governments on both sides of the Atlantic are eroding free speech rights under the guise of maintaining public order.
Quakers in Britain, known for their history of pacifism and social activism, expressed alarm at the scale of the police action. “This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society criminalises protest,” said Parker.
The episode has sparked fresh debates over the role of policing in political demonstrations. The UK government has defended its approach, insisting that tighter controls are necessary to prevent widespread disruption. Yet for activists, the crackdown appears to confirm fears that peaceful civil disobedience is being met with increasingly draconian measures.
Despite the arrests, Youth Demand has vowed to press on with its protests. Ella Grace-Taylor, a 20-year-old actor-musician student detained during the raid, stated defiantly in a video message after her release, “We will not be deterred. This only fuels us. The government and the police fear us because they recognise our power.”
With tensions mounting and protest laws under scrutiny, Britain’s policing of demonstrations will remain a flashpoint in the wider debate over civil liberties. As Youth Demand prepares for further actions, and as authorities tighten their grip on public protests, the struggle between dissenters and the state is set to intensify.
Main Image: Youth Demand
