The Quakers have criticised a police raid on its Westminster Meeting House, after 15 activists gathered there were arrested on suspicion of organising “mass shoplifting” from supermarkets.
Members of the Take Back Power group had booked rooms to “hold nonviolent direct action training” on Thursday evening, according to a statement from the Quakers.
Take Back Power has previously claimed responsibility for throwing apple crumble and custard at the Crown Jewels and dumping manure by the Christmas tree at the Ritz Hotel.
Metropolitan Police officers interrupted the meeting, arresting 15 people on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft.
Those gathered “were planning to steal from shops in a large, targeted and organised way", a statement from the force alleged.
It is the second time the Westminster Quaker Meeting House has been raided after police suspected members of Youth Demand were planning to block roads in March last year.
The Quakers condemned this as an “aggressive violation”, with the six women arrested said to have been there for a peaceful meeting about Gaza and climate change.
Oliver Robertson, head of witness and worship for Quakers in Britain, said: “For Quakers, faith and action are inseparable. Peaceful protest, prayer and nonviolent action are integral parts of many Quakers' religious life.
“Whilst we take the planning of criminal acts very seriously, we believe that this incident is a deliberate targeting of committed young people who want to make our country a more equitable place. This raid is part of a systematic stifling of dissent.
“That this is the second time in a year that the police have raided our meeting house dramatically illuminates the broader trend in the UK of cracking down on those who disagree with the government. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. It's a key part of how people make their voices heard between elections.”
A spokesperson for Take Back Power described it as a “draconian overreach”, denouncing the police for making arrests in “a place of worship”.
James Harman, deputy assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, said the force “reflected carefully” on concerns raised by the raid last March, but believed officers “had no choice but to act”.
“We cannot get into a situation where groups planning criminal acts can escape police action simply by booking rooms in certain venues,” he added.
Of those arrested, 14 remain in custody. One man has since been bailed.
