cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/19213440
The Socialist Equality Party condemns the attack on the Youth Demand organisation and demands the release and dropping of all charges against its members and supporters arrested over last Thursday and Friday by London’s Metropolitan Police.
The raid on the group’s publicly advertised meeting at Westminster Quaker Meeting House, a little over half a mile from Downing Street, is a major escalation in the Starmer Labour government’s assault on democratic rights. Up to 30 police officers, some armed, smashed their way into the meeting at St Martin’s Lane, central London Thursday evening (March 27).
///
I just want to point out how the Quakers have been real OGs for the side of human rights, historically.
Police made six arrests of women attendees during the raid, on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, and a further five Youth Demand supporters at other locations, mostly their homes, on Friday. In total the police conducted 12 house raids within 20 hours.
suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance
That has to be the most dystopian crime possible.
In April 2024, in protests at Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer’s support for Israel’s genocide, Youth Demand members laid children’s shoes and hung a banner that said “Starmer stop the killing”
Ah, now it makes more sense. Labour don’t appreciate their support for a genocidal regime being highlighted.
How Labour of them
Seems like an awful waste of police resources, if nothing else.
Do we know if any of them are likely to end up doing some porridge?
That isn’t the point.
There really needs to be an investigation into how many arrests result in convictions of the arrested person vs. how often arrest powers are used as an intimidation tactic to maintain the status quo.
