A protest organisation with ties to Just Stop Oil has revealed plans to orchestrate mass shoplifting operations targeting Marks & Spencer outlets throughout London to “redistribute food”.
Take Back Power, established last year to tackle inequality and counter what it describes as rising fascism in Britain, had previously promised to target Waitrose stores.
Arthur Clifton, 25, a prominent member of the group and former Just Stop Oil member, unveiled the group’s strategy during an online launch event before more than 140 participants on Wednesday evening.
He outlined initial “takebacks” scheduled for March, where activists would remove food from retailers and distribute it to those struggling in local areas.
“We will be building up off the back of that and bringing everyone down to London for a week of action, where we’re going to be doing a massive takeback. Just picture 50 to 100 people going into an M&S or whatever and just clearing it out,” Mr Clifton said.
The activist continued: “We have seen that food is locked behind skyrocketing prices. Less and less people can afford less and less food.
“So what we do is actually pretty obvious – we go in there, we take it out, and we redistribute it to the local community. This is what we are going to be doing in March.”
The following month, he also stated the group’s intentions to perform a similar operation targeting Waitrose.
The group behind the custard attack on the Crown Jewels has promised raids on London supermarkets
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TAKE BACK POWER“We’ll be coming down to London in April for a week of action – a massive take-back with 50 to 100 people just going in and clearing out a Waitrose,” he said.
Mr Clifton also took aim at both Labour and the Conservatives, accusing them of failing to halt Reform UK’s growing influence.
The activist outlined an ambitious target of recruiting 10,000 people to participate in civil disobedience campaigns around the next general election.
“The centre is going to collapse, and it’s either progressives that are going to take control of the state or fascists taking control of the state,” he said.
Take Back Power has warned it would target Marks and Specer stores in London
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“Either democracy wins, or fascism wins. I am sure we don’t need to convince people on this call which one we want.”
“We will stop the fascists by bringing 10,000 people to engage in civil disobedience around the 2029 election so that we can force the attention on the actual root of people’s outrage inequality, not immigration,” the activist warned.
The organisation, founded by former Just Stop Oil youth activists, has already made headlines with attention-grabbing demonstrations, The Times reports.
Four Take Back Power protesters were arrested last month after they targeted the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, throwing apple crumble and custard onto a display case.
Previously, Take Back Power announced plans to launch similar raids on Waitrose
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The group said it carried out the stunt to demand the Government establishes a permanent citizens’ assembly – a “House of the People” – with the power to “tax extreme wealth and fix Britain”.
Days earlier, members dumped bags of manure beneath a Christmas tree at the Ritz hotel.
Take Back Power has raised almost £58,000 in donations from more than 1,300 people in an online fundraiser to support its campaigns to “tax the rich”.
Among the list of services it says the money will fund includes £12,000 to pay for accommodation for activists and £4,000 for equipment such as megaphones and banners.