Grandmother Activist Orchestrates Coordinated Supermarket Shoplifting Spree
A group of hard-left activists has organized a series of coordinated shoplifting raids targeting major supermarket chains across England, with a 74-year-old grandmother and former probation officer at the forefront of the controversial protests. The activists, operating under the banner Take Back Power, conducted simultaneous operations at Morrison's, Tesco, and Sainsbury's stores in Exeter, Manchester, London, and Truro on Saturday morning.
Veteran Activist with History of Disruptive Protests
Ruth Cook, a 74-year-old grandmother from Somerset, was filmed loading food into boxes bearing the Take Back Power logo at a Morrison's store in Exeter. Ms. Cook is no stranger to controversial activism, having previously been part of an Insulate Britain protest in 2021 where she glued herself to the M4 motorway, causing what a judge described as "huge disruption" to traffic.
The Quaker activist, who founded a training company after leaving the Probation Service, received a six-month prison sentence for her role in the M4 protest and was ordered to pay £3,500 in costs. She was also fined £350 for a separate incident in 2022 when she sprayed paint on the Home Office during a Just Stop Oil demonstration.
Despite previously stating she would not participate in further law-breaking demonstrations, Ms. Cook told reporters she felt compelled to take action to "look her grandchildren in the eye" and protest what she described as systemic inequality.
Coordinated Protests Across Multiple Cities
The weekend's actions represented a coordinated effort across multiple regions. In Manchester, 25-year-old Eve Middleton raided a Tesco store, declaring in a Facebook video that she was protesting against "insane inequality [corporations] are profiting from."
Take Back Power claimed on social media that all food taken during the protests was delivered to food bank donation points "to go to the people who need it most." The group's statement criticized corporate pay disparities, noting that "the CEO of Sainsbury's pays himself 239 times that of an ordinary full time employee in his company."
Although the group reported confrontations with security staff in Exeter and London, they stated that no arrests had been made. Police in London indicated that officers found activists had paid for the food, meaning no offences had been committed, though Take Back Power disputed this account when contacted by the Daily Mail.
Wealthy Background of Group Co-Founder
The group's co-founder, Arthur Clifton, 25, presents a stark contrast to the anti-capitalist message promoted by Take Back Power. The privately educated activist grew up in an upmarket West London property and attended Latymer Upper School, where annual fees reach £30,000.
Mr. Clifton's father, Michael Clifton, 58, is an executive at international insurance brokers Chaucer, which reported taking $3.1 billion (£2.3 billion) in premiums in 2024. The company specializes in providing insurance coverage for private yachts and other vessels typically associated with wealthy clients.
A source familiar with the situation noted the apparent contradiction: "Where Arthur's dad works is in direct opposition to the aims and objectives of Take Back Power. Arthur has been given a private education and a wonderful lifestyle most young people can only dream of, funded by his dad working in the same environment he claims to want to fight against."
History of Controversial Actions
Take Back Power has engaged in numerous attention-grabbing protests since its founding in January. Previous stunts include dumping manure at the Ritz hotel and pouring custard over the Crown Jewels to draw attention to their campaign to "tax the super rich."
The group has raised tens of thousands of pounds through online fundraising for campaigns targeting economic inequality. Mr. Clifton himself has a history of direct action, having received a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work for causing £5,000 of criminal damage by spraying orange paint at University College London in 2023 while a member of Youth Demand.
Broader Context of Shoplifting in Britain
These protests occur against the backdrop of what authorities describe as a shoplifting epidemic in Britain, with cases doubling since the pandemic. Official statistics reveal that police closed 295,589 shoplifting cases without identifying a suspect in the 2024-25 period, equivalent to officers shelving 34 offences every hour.
Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Police arrested 15 people in an attempt to disrupt Take Back Power's planned activities. The group continues to advocate for what it describes as acts of "civil disobedience" to advance its anti-capitalist agenda, despite the personal backgrounds of some members appearing to contradict their stated principles.
