Quaker Meeting House Raid Sparks Outcry Over UK Protest Laws

Metropolitan Police arrested six women at a Youth Demand meeting, escalating tensions over stricter protest legislation and civil liberties.

The Metropolitan Police raided a Quaker meeting house in Westminster on March 27, arresting six women on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
The operation, involving over 20 officers, some with Tasers, marked the first arrests in a Quaker meeting house in living memory.
Quakers and activists condemned the raid as an overreach, citing the criminalization of protest under recent UK laws, including the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023.
Youth Demand, the group targeted in the raid, is a youth-led campaign advocating for climate justice and an end to UK arms trade with Israel, known for its non-violent civil resistance tactics.
As of March 30, all arrested individuals have been released on bail except one who faces no further action, while Youth Demand's planned April protests remain a concern for authorities.