West End church leaders protest over police raid on Quaker Meeting House

A group of West End Christian church leaders from different denominations have written a letter to the government and Mayor of London expressing their grave concerns over the violent police raid on the Westminster Quaker Meeting House. The full text of their letter follows:

Rachel Blake MP
Sir Keir Starmer, MP
Yvette Cooper MP, Home Secretary
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

As Christian clergy responsible for parishes and churches in the West End of London, we are writing to you as our two constituency members of Parliament, Home Secretary and Mayor to express our deep concerns about the police raid at the Westminster Quaker Meeting House on 27 March.

We lead work in buildings that, like the Quaker Meeting House, include a variety of activities: worship, meals for those in need, mental health counselling, classes, community group meetings, 12-step programmes, rehearsals, private staff residences, and commercial hires. We also host, whether as a part of our expression of faith or an act of hospitality, conversations and meetings on issues of social justice and global concerns.

The actions of the police at the Quaker Meeting House on 27 March could have happened to any of us.

Without knocking or ringing the bell, the police forced entry into the Meeting House, causing property damage to a historic building. Into a community space deeply committed to non-violence and pacificism, officers armed with tasers entered to control and intimidate. After showing unnecessary force toward a meet-up for people exploring non-violent social action, police then intruded upon and disrupted other events happening simultaneously at the Meeting House, including a life-drawing class, therapy sessions and staff working and living on site, seizing property such as phones and computers.

This incident has caused great fear and alarm in the Quaker community, who have historically represented a voice for peace and compassion for all. We stand with them in their sense of shock and violation. We share their distress, knowing that the same force could be directed against our own ministries and the community groups hosted in our buildings.

This is not an acceptable police response to a peaceable assembly of any kind, whether in church, mosque, synagogue or community centre.

We ask you to clearly condemn the police actions on 27 March, and reassure us that clear measures will be taken to ensure there are no future incidents of disproportionate and inappropriate police responses in places of worship and community centres.

Faithfully,

Rev Simon Buckley, Rector, St Anne's Church Soho
and Area Dean of Westminster (St Margaret's) Deanery

Rev Jared Jaggers, Associate Minister,
American International Church

Rev Jennifer Mills-Knutsen, Senior Minister,
American International Church

Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Parish Priest,
Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Rev Dr Simon Woodman, Minister,
Bloomsbury Baptist Church