In brief
Quakers in Britain have expressed deep concern following a police raid at their meeting house in London, where six activists planning Gaza war protests were arrested, raising questions about the right to assemble peacefully.
On March 30, 2025, in an unprecedented action, police officers stormed a Quaker meeting house in Westminster, arresting six women from the activist group Youth Demand. This incident, characterized by Quaker leaders as a significant violation of their sanctuary, involved over 20 uniformed officers, some armed. According to Paul Parker, the recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, "No one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory."The raid occurred during a gathering where the activists were discussing plans to organize protests in London against the ongoing war in Gaza. The Metropolitan Police justified the arrests by claiming that the protest plans could potentially lead to serious disruptions. They stated that while they uphold the right to protest, they also have the duty to prevent any actions that could escalate into criminal activities.This event has sparked alarm across England, coinciding with a broader trend of crackdowns on protests related to the Gaza conflict, including on U.S. college campuses where students have been vocal against Israel's military actions against Hamas. Quakers’ leaders now fear that the escalation of police intervention in peaceful assembly could set a worrying precedent for civil liberties in the UK.
