The Christian denomination known as the Society of Friends or the Quakers has intrigued me for as long as I can remember. They are the ones who are staunchly non-hierarchical in their structure, including worship, and are inclined toward silence when they gather. Most modern Quaker communities have some form of pastor who offers a message and they sing but they are definitely not "happy clappy" Christians. I often describe the United Church as a herd of cats but the Quakers may outdo us.
Quakers have traditionally been pacifists during war but activists in many ways. In 19th century America they were opposed to slavery and courageous in support of the Underground Railway. Historically members have been persecuted, imprisoned, even executed for their beliefs.
We might assume that this is a historical reality but recently a gathering of Quaker women in a Meeting House in London, Great Britain, was raided by police. Here is a portion of The Guardian report:
Police have raided a Quaker meeting house and arrested six women attending a gathering of the protest group Youth Demand.
More than 20 uniformed police, some equipped with Tasers, forced their way into the Westminster meeting house at 7.15pm on Thursday, according to a statement by the Quakers.
“No one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory,” said Paul Parker, the recording clerk for Quakers in Britain.
“This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society criminalises protest.
“Freedom of speech, assembly, and fair trials are an essential part of free public debate which underpins democracy.”
In a video posted on Youth Demand’s Facebook page, a woman who claimed to have attended the meeting described it as a “publicly advertised welcome talk” about the group. She said police seized attenders’ phones and laptops.
Great Britain has adopted laws regarding assembly that many describe as draconian and there have been shocking sentences handed down to individuals who have not committed violence or would normally be considered criminals.
Some days I wonder where democracies are headed. Did these police officers have any sense of embarrassment about what they did? Who thought this raid would be in the best interests of society? And what about freedom of religious assembly and expression?
Another report says that those not arrested chose not to offer the officers tea, which is surely a misdemeanour in Britain. I support this act of civil disobedience!
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