02/04/2025
As you will be aware, more than twenty police officers forced their way into Westminster Quaker Meeting House on the evening of 27 March.
They arrested six young people who were holding a meeting over their concerns for the climate and the events in Gaza. All have now been released, some on bail conditions.
This is the first time anyone has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory.
In response, Recording Clerk Paul Parker has said that “this aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society criminalises protest. Freedom of speech, assembly, and fair trials are an essential part of free public debate which underpins democracy."
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 have criminalised many forms of protest and allow police to halt actions deemed too disruptive. In addition, changes in judicial procedures limit protesters' ability to defend their actions in court. All this means that there are fewer and fewer ways to speak truth to power.
We have been inundated with media requests, and we have used the opportunity to emphasise our view that Quakers support the right to nonviolent public protest, acting themselves from a deep moral imperative to stand up against injustice and for our planet. Over the centuries many Quakers have taken nonviolent direct action to protest injustices, including the abolition of slavery to women's suffrage and prison reform.
The events on March 27 have led to many thousands of people engaging with our social media channels and responding to the media coverage.
The Quaker Life team, on behalf of Quakers in Britain, want to reassure you that both staff and Friends have been providing support to the young women who were arrested, Westminster Quakers, Quakers in Britian, the organisation ‘Youth Demand’ and other individuals affected by the police raid.
A Polite Notice to the Police - Derby Quakers are peaceful. So... If you want to enter our Meeting House... Please ring the bell... and Leave your taser at the front door. Thank You
We encourage local meetings to use their presence on social media platforms and on their websites to highlight that no-one needs to smash down the doors of our meeting houses because we are a welcoming and inclusive church. This could also be accompanied by a picture of friendly, welcoming Friends standing next to the open doors of their meeting house. You can also see what Derby Local Meeting have put on their door.
The Unitarian Church has made a strong statement in support of Quakers, and one of their churches is holding an evening in solidarity, to discuss contemporary moral issues and share breadsticks and hummus.
In the coming days we’ll share further information with you. This will include a template that Friends can use to communicate with their MPs. Staff from Quaker Peace and Social Witness are working on supporting a large outdoor meeting for worship on Thursday, 3 April to witness against the police action. Details can be found here:
Scotland Yard Quaker Meeting for Worship Tickets, Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite
We are also seeking legal advice about the implications of letting rooms to groups involved in nonviolent direct action that may be against the law. We hope to have more information for meetings soon after Easter.
Please do get in touch with us if there’s anything else you would like to share or discuss. Use the e-mail [email protected]. Or contact your own Local Development Worker. Please do share this e-mail with other Friends in your Quaker community.
In friendship,
Mewn cyfeillgarwch,
