#Quakers condemn arrests of #activists at meeting house

March 30, 2025

"The arrests of six female supporters of activist group #YouthDemand at a Quaker meeting house have been condemned by the faith group.

"Quakers in #Britain said the arrests were the first at a meeting house and 'an aggressive violation'.

"The Metropolitan Police said six people were arrested on Thursday evening at the Westminster Meeting House on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a #PublicNuisance.

"The force said it came amid concerns there were plans to 'shut down' London during April using tactics such as road blocks.

"Youth Demand said more than 30 officers were involved with making the arrests.

"Paul Parker, of Quakers in Britain, said he could not recall anyone being arrested at a Quaker meeting house in living memory.

"'The forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society #CriminalisesProtest.

"'#FreedomOfSpeech, assembly, and fair trials are an essential part of free public debate which underpins #democracy,' he said.

"Police said a further five arrests for the same offence were made on Friday - four at addresses in #London and one in #Exeter.

"Youth Demand, which is not affiliated with the Quakers, said the meeting was 'an opportunity to share plans for non-violent #CivilResistance actions' due to take place in April.

"The group claimed a number of houses were also raided on Thursday and Friday as part of the operation.

"Quakers in Britain said: 'Quakers support the right to non-violent public protest, acting themselves from a deep moral imperative to stand up against #injustice and for our planet.

"'Many have taken non-violent direct action over the centuries from the abolition of #slavery to women's #suffrage and prison reform.'

"The Met said the force understood the importance of the right to protest but added that Youth Demand had stated an intention to 'shut down' London in April.

"'We have a responsibility to intervene to prevent activity that crosses the line from protest into serious disruption and other criminality,' a spokesman said.

"On Thursday, officers raided a Youth Demand planning meeting where those in attendance were plotting their April action.

"Six people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

"A further five arrests for the same offence were made on Friday, 28 March. Four of the arrests were at addresses in London and one in Exeter.

'Policing priorities'

"Out of the 11 people arrested, 10 have been released on bail and one will face no further action.

"Asked about the matter on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'I have made clear to the police this government's priorities for policing are reducing serious violence... and bringing back neighbourhood policing, those crimes in town centres like shoplifting.'

"Youth Demand, which describes itself as a 'new youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to #genocide', began carrying out acts of #CivilDisobedience last year.

"Its demands of the government include stopping all trade with #Israel and raising money from 'the #SuperRich and #Fossilfuel #elite' to pay damages for the effects of fossil fuel burning."

Read more:
https://bbc.com/news/articles/cj3x5j6g30ro
#UKPol #ThoughtCrime #CriminalizingDissent #CriminalizingActivism #PublicNuisanceLaws #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct #Resistance #UKResistance #ProtectMotherEarth #FreePalestine #IsraeliWarCrimes

Is #Trump planning to declare #MartialLaw on April 20? The frightening claim, explored

Story by Charlotte Simmons, March 14, 2025

"First, the essentials. Martial law is the term for when civilian government and legal processes (such as mayoral jurisdiction and police officers, respectively) are overtaken by state military, so as to make demands on behalf of the nation’s leader, and then enforce those demands with their wealth of resources. Typically, martial law is invoked in dangerous situations, such as natural disasters or major #CivilUnrest.

"This is different from the United States’ #InsurrectionAct, wherein those civilian enterprises are not replaced by military personnel and resources, but supplemented by them. More importantly, the official nature of the Insurrection Act allows the #POTUS to deploy the military domestically during emergencies, as the #PosseComitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of the military against American civilians. In short, the Insurrection Act can waive the rules of the Posse Comitatus Act to create a sort of #MiniMartialLaw. Remember this.

"Recently, fears have been rising over whether or not the United States could enter martial law on April 20 under Donald Trump. But why then? What is it about April 20 that holds significance? When Trump first took office back on January 20, he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency at the United States’ southern border, requiring the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to submit a report about what the 'situation' is at said border, together with recommended actions for 'resolving' said 'situation.' This report needed to be submitted within 90 days.

"When this order was signed, Trump also declared that 'A #NationalEmergency exists at the southern border of the United States…I hereby declare that this national emergency requires use of the Armed Forces…' This, directly references the potential execution of the Insurrection Act.

"The Secretary of Defense? #PeteHegseth. The Secretary of #HomelandSecurity? #KristiNoem. Two of Donald Trump’s most prominent yes-men. And guess how many days January 20 and April 20 are apart? Ninety.

"So, essentially, on April 20, there’s a not-insignificant chance that those two aforementioned Trump yes-men are going to tell Trump whether or not he should deploy the military in the southern United States so as to crack down on immigration. Except, as we saw with the case of #MahmoudKhalil — a recent #ColumbiaUniversity graduate who played a major role in that student body’s recent #ProPalestinain campus occupations — it doesn’t matter if you have a green card or if you haven’t committed any crimes; under this presidency, #ICE will illegally detain you if they think you’re troublesome to the vision of #TrumpsAmerica. They’re trying to deport Khalil for speaking out against #genocide as we speak. This is a direct, wholly #unconstitutional attack on #FreeSpeech.

"And here’s why that distinction between the Insurrection Act and martial law was so important earlier. On April 20, Trump will constitutionally — through the Insurrection Act — be allowed to deploy the military against #AmericanCivilians, and his government has already demonstrated that legal American civilians who have not committed any crimes are at risk for detention and deportation. It’s not technically martial law, but this #Trumpian cocktail is just as bad, if not worse.

"#Khalil’s detention — again, occurring in response to his speaking out against the #genocide of #Palestinian people — was made on the grounds of Trump’s executive order prohibiting #AntiSemitism. How long before more executive orders (none of them made in good faith, let’s be clear on that) just so happen to limit more ways of speaking, acting, and thinking? A scary thought, and a horrifyingly pertinent one."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/is-trump-planning-to-declare-martial-law-on-april-20-the-frightening-claim-explored/ar-AA1AUIqy
#USPol #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Crackdown #CriminalizingDissent #NDAA #ExpandedPowers
#USPresidency #NationalEmergency #Terrorists #Activists #USPol #BorderEmergency #Gitmo #IllegalDetention #IndefiniteDetentionClause #IndefiniteDetention