Fifteen activists from the group Take Back Power have been arrested on suspicion of planning a mass shoplifting campaign, the Metropolitan Police said. The group, which previously claimed responsibility for stunts targeting the Crown Jewels and the Ritz Hotel, was meeting at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster on Thursday evening for what they described as non-violent direct action training.
Police halted the meeting and arrested 15 people on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft. One man was bailed, while the others remain in custody. Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman stated: “There is a clear difference between lawful protest and criminal acts. This evening’s operation tackled a group who we have grounds to suspect were planning to steal from shops in a large, targeted and organised way.”
Take Back Power, a non-violent civil resistance group, has called for a citizen-led assembly with the power to tax the rich. In December, activists threw apple crumble and custard at a display case containing the Crown Jewels, and earlier targeted the Ritz Hotel by dumping manure near its Christmas tree.
The arrests drew criticism, with a Take Back Power spokesperson saying: “The police arrested 15 ordinary people in a place of worship for discussing non-violent civil disobedience. This draconian overreach shows what the state is willing to do to protect corporate profits and billionaires.” The Quakers in Britain group also condemned the arrests, noting they were the first at a meeting house “in living memory”.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Harman defended the operation, saying: “We cannot get into a situation where groups planning criminal acts can escape police action simply by booking rooms in certain venues. The criminal investigation will now continue.”
