‘Ridiculously heavy-handed’ Metropolitan Police criticised after raid on Quaker meeting house to arrest protesters | UK News

[ad_1]

A police attack on a Quaker meeting house to arrest six women attending a protest meeting has been criticized as “ridiculous heavy hand”.

The women were arrested on the suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, according to the Metropolitan policeAfter attending an introductory meeting for the question of youth.

Youth question, a protest group that was in public planning to “close” London in April with a series of protests on the government’s position on climate change and Gaza, rented a room in Westminster Quaker meeting House. It was alleged that as many as 30 officers participated in the attack.

Quakers in Britain condemned the arrests; Although not related to the question of youth, the religious group has a long history of non-violent protest.

One Quaker was so upset by the police tactics that in a very British protest he did not offer a cup of tea to any officers.

“They broke open the front door without warning or even ringing the bell,” said Paul Parker, who recorded clerk for the religious organization.

“This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the powerful removal of young people who hold a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society protests criminalize.”

“No one was arrested in a Quaker meeting in memory,” he added.

Members of the Youth Question Question Field Group Spray painted the word "genocide" At the security-in-tent for the Labor Party Conference today.
Image:
In September, members of the youth asked the word ‘genocide’ on the security control tent for the Labor Party Conference

Police denied cups of tea after building ‘flooding’

Mal Woolford, an elder in the Westminster meeting House where the arrests took place, described the actions of the police as “ridiculously heavy hand” and said that officers “flooded the building”.

“There were six very young women of about 20 years old, and talked in a circle around a packet of bread sticks and a pot of mousse,” he said.

‘Apparently not everyone was even involved in the organization; They were just curious, and they ended up in the shackles. ‘

Mr. Woolford described that he wanted to keep the situation calm, but also to show his ‘outrage’ – so he made a cup of tea and did not offer the police officers.

It was the ‘only resistance I could set up’, he said.

He added that the police attack apparently interrupted a counseling session and a Life drawing class -“although they fortunately did not see the model”.

The demand of the youth described the arrests as “an unprecedented level of police suppression”.

Read more from Sky News:
Prince Harry is accused of being ‘number one risk’ to own charity
Irish politicians reject the presidential bid of McGregor round
Morning-to-pill that will be released from pharmacies

‘Democracy must have some lead’

The arrests led to a shout, with the former director of communications in Downing Street, Guto Harri Sunday morning with Trevor Philips: “Democracy must have some lead, and one of the legs is that the police do not crash through you just because you say something that upsets someone.”

When Interior Minister Yvette Cooper was asked about it Trevor Philipsshe said, “We have a long tradition, not only of free speech, but of freedom of meeting.”

However, she added that the police have operational independence and that “the police should function independently of the Home Minister”.

Metropolitan police told Sky News: ‘The question of youths declared the intention of’ concluding London ‘during April using tactics, including’ swarm ‘and road blocks.

“While we absolutely recognize the importance of the right to protest, we have the responsibility to intervene to prevent activities that cross the line from protest to serious disruption and other delinquency.”

Five of the women arrested on Thursday were released on bail. One will not face any further action.

Another five youth question activists were arrested for the same offense on Friday and everyone was released on bail.

[ad_2]

Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *