Activist Group Claims 'Food Liberation' in Coordinated Supermarket Shoplifting Campaign

An activist group has taken responsibility for a coordinated "mass shoplifting campaign" across multiple UK cities, claiming to have "liberated boxes of food" from supermarkets to supply local food banks. Take Back Power, which identifies as a non-violent civil resistance group, stated that its supporters in London, Manchester, Exeter, and Truro "took back food and necessities from supermarkets and redistributed them to local food banks" on Saturday 14 March 2026.

Defending Actions as Moral Imperative

The group defended its actions, asserting that "what's legal isn't necessarily an indication of what's moral or right." A spokesperson for Take Back Power explained, "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." They emphasized that it was "necessary for ordinary people to be stepping into action given the scale of crisis our country faces."

Details of the Coordinated Campaign

According to the group, activists entered stores and filled boxes 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." Specific incidents included:

In London, two supporters set up a stall outside Sainsbury's in the Lewisham centre to give food back to the local community.
In Exeter, five supporters took five boxes of produce from Morrisons supermarket in Prince Charles Road, with security stopping them and taking two boxes, but three were "successfully liberated" to a food bank.
In Manchester, three activists filled boxes with food from Tesco on Parrs Wood Lane in Didsbury and redistributed it to a food bank drop-off point at a local Aldi.
In Truro, two supporters loaded boxes from Sainsbury's on Treyew Road and left the produce at the food bank drop-off point in the same store.

Police Response and Legal Disputes

The Metropolitan Police reported that no arrests were made in London, as shop staff indicated that "a member of the group subsequently paid for the items." However, Take Back Power denied paying for the items, claiming that activists had "set up a stall that was technically still on the property of the supermarket," meaning "no crime was committed, because none of the produce actually ended up leaving the site." Police are reviewing CCTV and other evidence to verify these claims. This follows the arrest of 15 activists earlier in March on suspicion of planning a mass shoplifting campaign, after they gathered at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster for "non-violent direct action training."

Background and Previous Actions

Take Back Power has a history of controversial stunts, including claiming responsibility for an incident in December where apple crumble and custard were thrown at a display case containing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Days prior, activists targeted the Ritz Hotel by emptying bags of manure next to its Christmas tree. The group advocates for a citizen-led assembly with the power to tax the rich, positioning their actions as part of broader civil resistance against economic inequality.

The spokesperson added, "This won't be the last of this sort of action," signaling potential future campaigns. Greater Manchester Police and Devon and Cornwall Police have been approached for comment on the incidents in their jurisdictions, highlighting ongoing legal and social tensions surrounding activism and food poverty in the UK.