British police made a controversial move on Thursday by raiding a Quaker meeting house in London.
Key facts
Police arrest six women attending a meeting on climate and the war on Gaza. This was the first ever arrest at a Quaker meeting house in recent memory. It has raised alarm and inspired debate about the criminalization of protest tactics.
The raid took place at the Quaker meeting house, a historic place of worship for members of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers. This strange movement has deep and long-standing roots in descendants of 17th Century Protestant Christianity. They are unapologetically famous for their deep dedication to peace and social justice.
Paul Parker, recording clerk for Friends in Britain, said he was appalled by the move.
“No-one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory,” – Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain
The Quakers’ meeting was an assembly to discuss pressing global issues such as climate change and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The representative body for the community of Quakers in the UK, the Religious Society of Friends, subsequently released a statement denouncing the police.
“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 criminalizes protest,” – Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain
The raid was carried out by London’s Metropolitan Police, but as of this writing they have not disclosed their reasons or justifications for the raid. Everyone is closely anticipating their own report card. CNN has contacted the EPA for more details on these comments.
The Quakers, or the Religious Society of Friends, are famous for their pacifist traditions and deep commitment to non-violence. For one, they have rarely if ever found themselves at the center of scandalous controversies. The recent raid raises questions about the balance between law enforcement and the right to peaceful protest within sacred spaces.
