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Youth Demand

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Youth Demand
FormationJanuary 2024 (2024-01)
Founded atBirmingham
Region served
United Kingdom
MethodsNon-violent protest, direct action
Parent organisation
Umbrella
AffiliationsJust Stop Oil
Websiteyouthdemand.org Edit this at Wikidata

Youth Demand is an environmental activist and political activist group which is calling for the British government to stop all trade with Israel and raise £1 trillion by 2030 from the "super rich and fossil fuel elite".[citation needed]

Background and aims

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The group was established in January 2024 after a meeting at the Old Print Works in Birmingham as one of four groups under a central coordinating group called Umbrella. The four groups under 'Umbrella' are the direct action group Just Stop Oil, Assemble, Robin Hood, and Youth Demand.[1]

In July 2024 a spokesperson for Youth Demand said that their aims were "an end to all new licenses and consents for exploration of fossil fuels in the North Sea" and the imposition of "a two-way arms embargo on the state of Israel ... [to] stop selling them weapons and we stop buying their weapons. We sever all the links between the UK and the Israeli war machine".[1]

Youth Demand claim to be represented at 17 British universities and have 5,000-10,000 people on a mailing list.[1]

Protest actions and arrests

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In 2024 members of the group spray-painted the headquarters of the Labour Party and the Ministry of Defence.[1]

Three members were found guilty of public order offences after they laid children's shoes and hung a banner that said 'Starmer stop the killing' outside the Kentish Town home of Keir Starmer, then Leader of the Labour Party, in April 2024.[2]

On 15 July 2024, two members of the group were arrested after spray-painting '180,000 killed' on the pavement in front of the Cenotaph on Whitehall.[3]

10 members of the group were arrested in Victoria Embankment Gardens on the day of the State Opening of Parliament on 17 July 2024.[4]

Six Youth Demand supporters were arrested during a welcome talk at a Quaker meeting house (the Westminster Meeting House) on 27 March 2025; according to the Metropolitan Police, Youth Demand intended to "shut down" London during April by means of tactics which include road blocks.[5][6] Five other supporters were subsequently arrested elsewhere on similar charges.[7] George Monbiot wrote that the Metropolitan Police action is both disproportionate and inconsistent.[8]

On 12 April 2025, eight supporters of the group were arrested during an 'open swarming' protest in which members blocked traffic at Elephant and Castle, by Russell Square, and at Vauxhall Bridge.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Boffey, Daniel (17 July 2024). "'Revolutions are coming': who are Youth Demand and what do they want?". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Trio guilty over pro-Palestine protest at Sir Keir Starmer's home". BBC News. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Two women arrested over Gaza protest at Cenotaph". BBC News. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  4. ^ Davidson, Tom (17 July 2024). "Met Police arrest ten Youth Demand protesters ahead of King's Speech". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Quakers in Britain condemn six arrests of Youth Demand at meeting house". www.bbc.com. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  6. ^ Heren, Kit (30 March 2025). "Over 20 officers smash in Quaker meeting house door to arrest protesters plotting to 'shut down London'". LBC. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Quakers condemn Met Police raid as six arrested in Westminster meeting house". The Independent. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  8. ^ Monbiot, George (3 April 2025). "Vilified, arrested, held incommunicado: that's the price of protest in Britain today". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
  9. ^ France, Anthony (12 April 2025). "Eight arrested as Youth Demand block fire engine 'on 999 call'". The Standard. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
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