15 activists arrested over ‘mass shoplifting campaign’ plot

Fifteen activists suspected of planning a mass shoplifting campaign have been arrested, after the group reputedly targeted The Ritz and the Crown Jewels with previous stunts.

Police said the group, called Take Back Power, was planning to steal from supermarkets and redistribute the goods.

But officers said they arrested them when they gathered for “non-violent direct action training” at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster on Thursday.

They halted the meeting and detained 15 people on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft.

One man was bailed and the rest were taken into custody.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said: “There is a clear difference between lawful protest and criminal acts.

“This evening’s operation tackled a group who we have grounds to suspect were planning to steal from shops in a large, targeted and organised way.

“Theft is a crime and the public expect the police to deal with it – which is exactly what we have done today.”

The group previously claimed credit for a stunt in December which saw apple crumble and custard thrown at a display case containing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.

Days earlier they targeted The Ritz Hotel by emptying bags of manure next to its Christmas tree.

It’s not the first time police have raided the Quaker Meeting House; Scotland Yard was criticised for arresting six Youth Demand activists there in March last year.

Condemning the arrests, the Quakers in Britain group said they were the first at a meeting house “in living memory”.

Read more:
Prisoners had drugs and weapons ‘delivered to order’
Man blew up ULEZ camera with homemade bomb

Mr Harman said: “While we reflected carefully on those previous concerns before approving tonight’s operation, and took steps to ensure we caused minimal disruption, we ultimately felt we had no choice but to act.

“We cannot get into a situation where groups planning criminal acts can escape police action simply by booking rooms in certain venues.

“The criminal investigation will now continue.”

Take Back Power, which describes itself as a non-violent civil resistance group, is campaigning for a citizens assembly that has the power to tax the rich.

The group said in a social media post that the 15 had been “arrested during a nonviolence training” event

They added: “One of those arrested had a panic attack, and an ambulance had to be called. Two others were acting as legal observers.

“It’s the super-rich who are stealing from ordinary, hard working people. This draconian overreach shows what the state is willing to do to protect corporate profits and billionaires, while 4 million children live in food poverty in the UK.”