Responding to the police raid of Westminster Quaker Meeting House – Quaker Prayer protest outside Scotland Yard Today

Immediate release.

Photos taken outside New Scotland Yard here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ibL7I6iE-NRnOl5iZgbQn7frYxu01SOh?usp=sharing

Following the raid and arrest of 6 young peaceful activists at Westminster Quaker Meeting House on Thurs 27th March, Quakers and their supporters met at New Scotland Yard today, 3rd April, to hold a Meeting for Worship on the pavement outside the Metropolitan Police HQ.

The gathering, which was organised by a group called Quaker Support for Climate Action was silent, as is traditional for Quaker services.

Phil Laurie, facilitator of Quaker Support for Climate Action, said: “Quaker Meetings for Worship are based on silence. We are holding this Meeting for Worship to envelop the Police HQ in love and peace. In raiding the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster the Metropolitan Police brought violence to a house of peace. Our aim is to bring love and peace to replace the police violence and demonstrate a different approach to dealing with difficult situations.

“We are a community of worship. We will not be threatened by force into abandoning our principles. Our Meeting Houses will remain open to those that work to build a better future.”

Rev. Professor Sandra Eldridge, an Associate Priest from the Chelmsford Diocese, was one of the people at the event in support of the Quaker community. She said: “I’m here because I was saddened when I heard of the police raiding a Quaker meeting house, particularly because of the avowed non-violence of Quakers. This is the sort of action you might expect in an authoritarian state not in a long-standing democracy. If we care about our democratic rights, I think it’s important that we come together to say that this is something we don’t want to happen in this country.”

-ENDS-