UK Police Target Pro-Palestinian Group, Arresting 9 Over Gaza Genocide Protest

By Staff, Agencies

UK police have arrested nine individuals, including six young women, in connection with a meeting to discuss the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Youth Demand, a pro-Palestinian group advocating for climate action and an end to UK arms sales to "Israel," reported the arrests, which followed a series of police raids targeting its members and supporters.

On Thursday, around 30 Metropolitan Police officers raided the Youth Demand Welcome Talk at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster, arresting six young women, including a first-time attendee and a journalist. Three of the women were released in the early hours of the morning, while the remaining three stayed in custody. Police claimed the arrests were made for “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.”

In a separate incident on Friday, a Youth Demand supporter, Eddie Whittingham, was arrested in his home in Exeter but released without charge. Three other supporters were arrested elsewhere, and another raid occurred later in the day.

Youth Demand condemned the actions, calling it an unprecedented level of repression in the UK. The group emphasized that the arrests highlight the nervousness of the state, suggesting their efforts are gaining traction. The Welcome Talk provided a platform for discussing the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the broader global issues stemming from the climate crisis.

Actor and musician Ella Grace-Taylor, one of those arrested, condemned the UK government's role in enabling the genocide by arming "Israel" and refusing to label the ongoing violence as genocide. A spokesperson for Youth Demand vowed that the group would not be silenced, planning continued resistance actions throughout April, starting on April 1 in Mallet Street.