Activists Take Back Power goal supermarkets in mass shoplifting marketing campaign for meals banks | EUROtoday

An activist group has claimed accountability for a coordinated “mass shoplifting campaign” throughout a number of UK cities.

Members stated that they “liberated boxes of food” from supermarkets to produce native meals banks.

Take Back Power, which identifies as a non-violent civil resistance group, stated its supporters in London, Manchester, Exeter, and Truro “took back food and necessities from supermarkets and redistributed them to local food banks” on Saturday.

The group defended its actions, saying that “what’s legal isn’t necessarily an indication of what’s moral or right”, and that it was “necessary for ordinary people to be stepping into action given the scale of crisis our country faces”.

Activists reportedly entered shops, filling packing containers emblazoned with the message “these things are going to those that need them”.

They then “left the shops without paying for the produce and then redistributed these items to local food bank drop-off points”, the group added.

The Metropolitan Police stated no arrests had been made in London as officers have been instructed by store workers {that a} “member of the group subsequently paid for the items”.

Take Back Power denied paying for the gadgets, however stated that activists had “set up a stall that was technically still on the property of the supermarket” that means “no crime was committed, because none of the produce actually ended up leaving the site”.

A spokesperson for Take Back Power stated: “What’s legal isn’t necessarily an indication of what’s moral or right.

“I accept that going into shops and taking things without paying is against the law.

“But I really do think that we need to be looking at what is more of a problem in society is the fact that we’ve got a significant number of people having to go to food banks.”

The spokesperson added: “This won’t be the last of this sort of action.

“I think it’s necessary for ordinary people to be stepping into action given the scale of crisis our country faces.”

Take Back Power stated in London that “on liberating boxes of food, two supporters set up a stall outside Sainsbury’s in the Lewisham centre, to give the food back to the local community”.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated: “Officers responded and spoke to staff at the shop who told them a member of the group subsequently paid for the items.

“We are in the process of reviewing CCTV and other evidence to verify this.”

In Exeter, Take Back Power stated 5 supporters who took 5 packing containers of produce from Morrisons grocery store in Prince Charles Road have been stopped by safety who took away two of 5 packing containers.

The group stated the remaining three packing containers have been “successfully liberated and taken to a local food bank drop-off point”.

In Manchester, the group stated “three action takers filled boxes with food from Tesco, on Parrs Wood Lane in Didsbury” after which “redistributed the food to a food bank drop-off point at a local Aldi”.

It added that two supporters loaded packing containers from the Sainsbury’s on Treyew Road, Truro, and left the produce on the meals financial institution drop-off level in the identical retailer.

It comes after 15 activists from the group have been arrested earlier this month on suspicion of planning a mass shoplifting marketing campaign.

Activists gathered on the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster on 5 March to participate in “non-violent direct action training”, the Metropolitan Police stated.

Officers halted the assembly and 15 individuals have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft.

Greater Manchester Police and Devon and Cornwall Police have been approached for remark.

Take Back Power has claimed it was behind a stunt which noticed apple crumble and custard thrown at a show case containing the Crown Jewels within the Tower of London in December.

Days earlier than that, activists from the group focused the Ritz Hotel by emptying baggage of manure subsequent to its Christmas tree.

The group has referred to as for a citizen-led meeting that has the ability to tax the wealthy.