Quakers condemn Met Police raid as six arrested in Westminster assembly home | EUROtoday

The Quakers in Britain group has condemned the arrests of six Youth Demand supporters by greater than 30 law enforcement officials.

The arrests had been the primary “in living memory” to happen in a Quaker assembly home, recording clerk for the group Paul Parker mentioned, after the officers detained the Youth Demand supporters at 7:30pm in Westminster on Thursday.

“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,” he mentioned.

“Freedom of speech, assembly, and fair trials are an essential part of free public debate which underpins democracy.”

The detainees had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to trigger a public nuisance, police mentioned. Youth Demand mentioned the assembly was held to “share plans for non-violent civil resistance actions” deliberate for April.

Houses had been additionally raided throughout the operation on Thursday and Friday, Youth Demand added.

In a press release, Quakers in Britain mentioned: “Quakers support the right to nonviolent public protest, acting themselves from a deep moral imperative to stand up against injustice and for our planet.

“Many have taken nonviolent direct action over the centuries from the abolition of slavery to women’s suffrage and prison reform.”

Youth Demand, the self-described “youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide”, started finishing up acts of civil disobedience final 12 months.

It calls on the federal government to halt all commerce with Israel and lift cash from the “super rich and fossil fuel elite” to pay damages for the impacts of fossil gasoline burning.

In April final 12 months, the group hung a banner and laid rows of youngsters’s footwear exterior Sir Keir Starmer’s dwelling, after which three individuals of their 20s had been issued suspended jail sentences.

Further arrests had been made final July after the group introduced plans to disrupt the State Opening of Parliament.

The Independent has approached the Met Police for remark.