Police raided our Quaker meeting house. Crackdowns on peaceful protest should worry everyone
31 March 2025, 14:53
On Thursday, police smashed down the door to Westminster Quaker meeting house.
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Last time anything like this happened, the authorities arrived on horseback!
This isn’t normal, and we shouldn’t let it become so.
For those not up to speed, 20 police officers broke open the door of the Quaker meeting house (the nearest thing we have to a church building) without warning and surged through the building to find one of the groups hiring it. They also disturbed a life drawing class and people on the toilet. They arrested six young women who were meeting about climate change and peace in Gaza.
Since the story broke, Quakers have been overwhelmed by messages of support from other faiths horrified at the violation of a place of worship, from people around the world, and from the public who clearly see this for what it is: appalling police overreach.
Incidentally, in terms of suppressing the Youth Demand group, the raid’s been a colossal failure, with the Streisand Effect meaning another 200 people now want to join them.
But this isn’t just a police problem. It’s also a problem with the laws they’re excessively enforcing. Starting in 2022, the previous government passed two major Acts restricting the right to protest, and the current administration is doing nothing to change that.
The offence the young women were arrested for? ‘Conspiracy to cause a public nuisance’.
Conspiracy suggests people planning murder, terrorism, gunpowder plots. It’s not people being a bit annoying.
Nor should it be. In a democracy, we ought to encourage people to participate in public life – especially young people, who are often disengaged and don’t vote. Quakers are advised in Advices & Queries, our short set of guidance for life, to remember our ‘responsibilities as a citizen for the conduct of local, national and international affairs’.
But not everyone has the platform that being in the news or writing for LBC gives. For some people, the only way they can show how much they care is by going out on the streets.
Not everyone will agree with Youth Demand about climate change or Gaza, but that’s not the point. In a diverse society, we need to be able to hear dissenting voices with respect.
Forcibly preventing these from being heard, through law or police action is in no way democratic. People talking and peacefully demonstrating are not a threat to society, but stopping them is.
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Oliver Robertson is head of witness and worship at Quakers in Britain.
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The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.
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