The pro-Palestine Youth Demand movement says it has been targeted with over 150 arrests since it began

The pro-Palestine Youth Demand movement says it has been targeted with over 150 arrests since it began

Katherine Hearst Published date: 5 April 2025 09:12 BST

"On 27 March, some 20 police officers burst in on a group of young women at a Quaker’s meeting house in central London and arrested them on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

The women were activists who had gathered for an open meeting of Youth Demand, a pro-Palestine and climate justice movement demanding an end to UK government arms sales to Israel and new fossil fuel licensing. The group emerged in the aftermath of Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October 2023."

  • Ilixtze@lemm.eeEnglish
    22·
    2 days ago

    … … … Oh, you mean for everyone that wasn’t repressed before!

    • XiaCobolt [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
      11·
      2 days ago

      I get what you mean but Quakers have been persecuted for pretty much always being on right side of history their whole existence.

      • Ilixtze@lemm.eeEnglish
        7·
        2 days ago

        I hear ya’ I really don’t know about the history of Quakers, (to be honest I didn’t even noticed the headline was from their point of view,) i just found the headline kinda funny coming From an American news agency as someone who is not from the US.

        • XiaCobolt [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
          12·
          2 days ago

          They’re like small minority of Christian proto anarchists (no priests no churches, occaisonal communes/intentional communities) who are extreme pacifists, but understand how imperialism, social murder and slavery is violence, constantly acting against it by non violent but radical means.

          A bunch fled the UK to the USA to avoid religious persecution and them immediately got started to get themselves lynched for helping slaves escape and working with first Nations people.

          That said Richard Nixon’s parents were Quakers and he was ostensibly one at some point, but he sort of drifted out of it in college before ever getting disowned (quaker excommunication). But he kept the ascetic aesthetic (Quakers don’t drink or smoke, wear fancy clothes etc)