15 Take Back Power supporters were arrested during a nonviolence training this evening being held in the Westminster Quaker Meeting House. Take Back Power is a nonviolent campaign demanding a tax on extreme wealth, to be decided by a ‘House of the People.’ [1]
At around 18:35 a number of police officers forced entry into the Westminster Quakers meeting house. They proceeded to arrest 15 people on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft. Two of those arrested were acting as legal observers. During the raid an ambulance had to be called as one person suffered a panic attack after being arrested. Those arrested were sent to Brixton and Walworth police stations where one person was subsequently bailed. 14 remain in custody. [2]
A Take Back Power spokesperson said:
“The police arrested fifteen ordinary people in a place of worship for discussing nonviolent civil disobedience. This draconian overreach shows what the state is willing to do to protect corporate profits and billionaires, while ordinary people struggle to put food on the table.
The state is scared of civil disobedience because it works. But when the super-rich have captured our politics, nonviolent civil disobedience is the only choice we have to take back our power. Now more than ever, we need everyone to join us: sign up at takebackpower.net.”
In their statement, the MET police referenced last year’s unprecedented raid on Westminster Quakers and the arrests of Youth Demand supporters meeting about the genocide in Gaza, which drew widespread condemnation from faith groups. One of the people arrested this evening had also been previously arrested during last year’s raid on Westminster Quakers. [3]
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
[1] Take Back Power is a nonviolent civil resistance group in the UK. We aim to put the 99% in charge through citizens’ assemblies. We are ordinary people from all walks of life who believe that in order to fix Britain, we have to tax the rich. And we don’t think the rich should get a veto. We want the people to decide how we tax the rich through a legally-binding citizen’s assembly – A House of the People. It’s time for the 99% to have 99% of a say!
Join us to demand a permanent House of the People with powers to tax the rich and fix Britain.
[3] The Guardian: Why did 30 Met officers kick the door down at a teenage tea and biscuits meeting in a Quaker house?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/10/police-raid-london-quaker-meeting-house-very-worrying
