Camden (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Youth Demand activists have blocked roads in Camden during a protest spotlighting the Gaza conflict and climate crisis, threatening to shut down the city.
At approximately 11 a.m., some 65 activists assembled at Brunswick Square Gardens. At 12:15 p.m., they divided into two groups and blocked traffic on Euston Road close to King’s Cross station.
For almost ten minutes, the groups blocked the road while brandishing green flares and holding posters that said, “Youth Demand an End to Genocide” and “Stop Arming Israel.”
Soon after, police officers showed up and warned the gathering in accordance with Section 7 of the Public Order Act.
At 1:30 pm, just over an hour later, Youth Demand demonstrators divided into two groups once more and blocked other Camden roads.
20 activists staged a half-hour-long protest near Baker Street, while another group of demonstrators stopped Old Street Junction until approximately 1:55 p.m.
A branch of Just Stop Oil’s youth wing, Youth Demand, has called on the UK government to immediately stop the construction of new oil and gas projects and impose a complete arms and trade embargo on Israel.
The organization, which calls itself a “strategy team” with no leader, threatened an “unimaginable outbreak of collective power, creativity, love, and defiance” and accused politicians of betraying their generation.
The arrests of six of Youth Demand’s female supporters at a Quaker meeting house in Central London made headlines recently; the faith organization claims that they were the first arrests at a Quaker location in living memory.
Following the women’s arrest by Metropolitan Police officers at Westminster Meeting House on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance, Quakers in Britain denounced the action as a “aggressive violation.”
Police claimed the arrests, which involved more than 30 officers, were related to worries about plans to use disruptive tactics to “shut down” London this month.
During its pro-Palestinian march in downtown London, police officials encouraged Youth Demand activists to continue.
The campaigners headed to King’s Cross station after starting to assemble at Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
Before being escorted by the Metropolitan Police, some waved banners that proclaimed “stop arming Israel,” while others flared green lights.
A group of 40 people blocked traffic on Euston Road close to King’s Cross at approximately 12:15 p.m., according to Youth Demand, after its supporters split into two groups.
According to Youth Demand, Scotland warned the demonstrators under section seven of the Public Order Act, and ten minutes later, the group dispersed.
There were no arrests.
On social media, Youth Rebellion announced that they will be holding an in-person “action training and briefing” session at Golden Lane Community Centre, which is located in the City of London next to the Barbican.
Following a recent police raid at a Quaker meeting house, Youth Demand told The Guardian that up to 200 people had indicated interest in participating in planned action.
The group states:
“These briefings are key for getting all the info you need to join us in the streets — hear the plan, get legal, support, and accessibility info, and find out how you get involved!”
The “Swarming Action” protest by Youth Demand in Lincoln’s Inn Fields is about to start.
When we can, we will provide you with information from the event.
According to Chiara Sarti, a spokesperson for Youth Demand, since the group’s founding, 150 arrests have been made against its members.
The University of Cambridge PhD candidate told the Middle Eastern Eye website, “This type of police repression is just part of life now.”
Last summer, Youth Demand started their protests, with a lot of their antics taking place in London.
Activists took early action by closing Waterloo Bridge, painting the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall red, and painting the Labour Party headquarters in Southwark red.
At the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, demonstrators in October covered the glass of Picasso’s 1901 painting “Motherhood (La Maternité)” with a picture of a mother and child from Gaza.
The number of individuals signing up to take part in Youth Demand’s protests has risen dramatically in spite of police crackdowns, including the raid on a Quaker meeting place. This implies that a large number of individuals share their concerns about issues like climate change and the situation in Gaza.
The demonstrations have raised awareness of important topics, attracting a larger audience and encouraging conversations about environmental and social justice issues.
The inconveniences brought on by protests and road blockades, which can affect daily living and commute times, have angered some members of the public.
Three individuals hung a banner and placed rows of children’s shoes outside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Kentish Town residence in April of last year, marking another earlier protest in the capital.
After the event, Daniel Formentin, 24, Zosia Lewis, 23, and Leonorah Ward, 21, were all given suspended prison terms.
In April, Youth Demand rallies are held on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Protesters assembled at the Senate House Library on Malet Street in Bloomsbury this week to begin the first event.
The group will reconvene at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn, today at 11 a.m.
When Metropolitan Police officers raided a Quaker meeting house in Westminster and arrested six women attending a Youth Demand gathering, Youth Demand recently made headlines. The Quaker group denounced the raid as an aggressive infringement on their place of prayer.
During a month-long phase of action in April, Youth Demand pledged to “shut down” London by crowding the capital’s highways and staging protests.
What is the protest strategy of Youth Demand?
Through a month-long campaign of civil disobedience that includes protests and vehicle blockades, the organization has pledged to “shut down” London. This strategy seeks to create as much disruption as possible in order to highlight its demands, which include compensation for climate-related damages and a halt to UK arms sales to Israel.
Six women from Youth Demand who were planning protests were taken into custody by police on March 27 when they stormed a Quaker meeting place in central London. It has been said that this incident is an attempt to stifle nonviolent movement.
More than 500 individuals have signed up to join Youth Demand’s marches, demonstrating the growing support for the movement despite the arrests. This increase in participation indicates that far more than discouraging activists, the crackdown has inspired more individuals to support the cause.