I'm blogging about this because the story does not seem to have been covered by any general news outlets.
From Quakers in Britain:
Police broke into a Quaker Meeting House last night (27 March) and arrested six young people holding a meeting over concerns for the climate and Gaza. ...
Just before 7.15pm more than 20 uniformed police, some equipped with tasers, forced their way into Westminster Meeting House.
They broke open the front door without warning or ringing the bell first, searching the whole building and arresting six women attending the meeting in a hired room.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 have criminalised many forms of protest and allow police to halt actions deemed too disruptive.
The website quotes Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain:
"No-one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory.
"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.
"Freedom of speech, assembly, and fair trials are an essential part of free public debate which underpins democracy."
Later. The Morning Star has more about Youth Demand, the group whose meeting was raided.
Thank you for highlighting this.
ReplyDeleteWondering why there has been no coverage of this in the media.
I shall keep looking
Thank you Jonathan. This is truly appalling.
ReplyDeleteIt is on The Guardian web site, so I assume it will be in the paper copy of The Observer. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/29/met-raids-quaker-meeting-house-and-arrests-six-women-at-youth-demand-talk
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