Dear Friends,

I’m reaching out to you following a police raid on a Quaker place of worship last week. As you may have seen (it made national news) – 20 uniformed police, some equipped with tasers, forced their way into Westminster Meeting House and arrested 6 young women who were taking part in a Youth Demand meeting (the youth wing of Just Stop Oil) that was taking place in the building. The meeting was an opportunity for those assembled to share concerns about the climate crisis and the situation in the Middle East. You can read the (short) news story on our website here: https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/quakers-condemn-police-raid-on-westminster-meeting-house

The raid was not during worship, nor aimed at Quakers, but it was still at a place used for worship, traditionally a place of sanctuary.

Quakers have been campaigning to protect the right to protest, as well as campaigning for climate justice and an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine for a number of years. 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. 

We are now in the process of organising and helping to co-ordinate various actions that are being planned by British Quakers in response to this raid. We believe this goes beyond the Quaker community—it’s a challenge to the safety of all places of worship. It’s important and encouraging that we come together in response. We also hold in the Light communities who regularly experience the sharp end of the criminal justice system. 

In the short-term, we’d like to extend a warm invite for you, and anyone in your networks, to join us at a Quaker Meeting for Worship (based on silence) outside New Scotland Yard on Thursday 3 April from 12-1pm. This meeting is being organised by a Quaker grassroots group – Quaker Support for Climate Action – and will have a member of the House of Lords, Jenny Jones, attending. We hope to have a real breadth of people of all faiths and none at the meeting and your support joining and sharing the meeting would be very welcome. You can find out more details and register here: Quaker Meeting for Worship at New Scotland Yard

For the longer-term, we have developed template email that people can use and adapt to contact their local MP:

quaker.org.uk/documents/westminster-meeting-house-raid-email-your-mp-template. Please share it with anyone who you think would be interested in taking action to defend our right to protest, and to protect places where people worship.  In addition, if you know of any police raids on places where groups worship, please could you tell me? We are trying to build a picture. 

Thank you for spreading the word, much appreciated. We have had expressions of solidarity from Muslims & from Jews as well as from Christians.

All good wishes and with thanks for all that you do,

Judith

Judith Baker

Ecumenical & Interfaith Officer and Conciliation & Peacebuilding Coordinator

 Quakers in Britain