London Police Arrest Gaza Protest Planners at Quaker House

Quakers in Britain are shocked by an unprecedented violation of one of their places of worship by police officers who forcefully entered a meeting house in London and arrested activists gathered there to plan protests against the Gaza war.

“No one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory,” said Paul Parker, the recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, in a statement issued after the incident.

On Thursday evening, the pacifist group reported that more than 20 uniformed police officers, some armed with tasers, forcibly entered the meeting house in Westminster, breaking open the front door without warning or ringing the bell.

The officers conducted a search of the building and arrested six women who were part of Youth Demand, an unaffiliated activist group renting a room to hold their meeting, according to Quakers in Britain.

The Metropolitan Police stated that the arrests were made following Youth Demand’s plans to “shut down” London with protests next month, as reported by British media. The police emphasized their recognition of the right to protest but also mentioned their responsibility to intervene to prevent activities that escalate from protest to serious disruption and criminal behavior.

The arrests have sparked concerns in England and come amidst a crackdown on Gaza War protesters in the United States, particularly on college campuses where some students have criticized Israel’s actions against Hamas.

Legal experts have raised issues regarding the Trump administration’s infringement on free speech rights, and Quakers in Britain expressed similar worries following the raid on their meeting house.

“This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly demonstrates the consequences of a society that criminalizes protest,” remarked Mr. Parker.

In recent years, Britain has implemented various measures to curb protests and granted additional powers to the police.

One of these measures, the Public Order Act 2023, has been criticized by the United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, as “deeply troubling.” The law imposes significant restrictions on the right to peaceful assembly and criminalizes certain forms of peaceful protest by British citizens, as noted by the United Nations.

Youth Demand explained in a statement that during the raid, they were having a “Welcome Talk” at the Quaker house to discuss Gaza, the West Bank, and the climate crisis, as well as to share plans for nonviolent civil resistance actions scheduled for next month.

The activists were detained on suspicion of “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance,” according to the group. Additional activists were arrested the following day.

Youth Demand mentioned in an email that approximately 10 arrests were made on Thursday and Friday, with 11 activists’ homes being raided. All activists have been released without charges, the group confirmed.

Youth Demand, which advocates for the cessation of all trade with Israel by the British government and raising funds from the wealthy to address environmental damage from fossil fuel consumption, was established last year. Despite its relatively small size, some of its protests have garnered significant attention.

In April, the group placed a banner and lined up children’s shoes outside the home of Labour leader Keir Starmer, with the message “Stop the killing” in Gaza displayed on the banner.

Following the raid, the group urged young people to take to the streets daily and shut down London.

Ella Grace-Taylor, a 20-year-old actor-musician student who was arrested at the meeting house, stated in a video after her release that the group remains undeterred.

“We will not be discouraged by this. We see it as a sign of our strength,” she affirmed. “It shows that the government, the police, and the state are afraid of us, recognizing the power we hold.”

The Metropolitan Police did not respond immediately to a request for comment.