Eight people have been charged with criminal damage after stunts targeting London’s Ritz hotel and the crown jewels.
Take Back Power, which describes itself as a non-violent civil resistance group, claimed it was behind a stunt which saw apple crumble and custard thrown at a display case containing the crown jewels inside the Tower of London in December.
Just days before, activists from the group appeared to target the Ritz hotel by emptying bags of manure next to its Christmas tree.
On Sunday, the Metropolitan Police said that Ellen Redwood-Brown, 23, Tom Barber, 66, Toby Ellwood, 21, and Tjalle Rumley, 26, have been charged over the stunt at the Ritz.
Redwood-Brown, of Balmoral Road, Bristol, and Barber, of St Andrews Road, Nottingham, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Ellwood, of Newport Gardens, Leeds, and Rumley, of Hereford Road, Acton, west London, will appear at the same court on 29 April.
Meanwhile, Fatima Ali, 19, of Rhodeswell Road, Tower Hamlets, east London, Miriam Cranch, 22, of Trelawn Avenue, Leeds, Mack Preston, 22, of Westferry Circus, Tower Hamlets, and Matthew Cooper, 50, of Oriel Gardens, Bath, have been charged in relation to the crown jewels stunt.
They will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 27 April.
Last month, Take Back Power said supporters in London, Manchester, Exeter and Truro carried out a mass shoplifting campaign of “liberating boxes of food” from supermarkets to food banks.
David Kilroy, 66, of Hartley Park Gardens, Plymouth, has been charged with theft after an alleged incident of organised shoplifting at Sainsbury’s in Lewisham, south-east London on 14 March.
He will appear at Bexley Magistrates’ Court on 29 April.
On Saturday, detectives arrested seven people attending a Take Back Power training event in Millman Street, Camden, northwest London.
The force said the arrests were linked to the group’s alleged plans for mass shoplifting.
They were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft before being taken into custody and later bailed.
Later on Saturday, a 25-year-old man handed himself in at a London police station after hearing that he was wanted by officers, the force said.
He was arrested on suspicion of encouraging the commission of theft and remains in custody.
A spokesperson for the group said those at the training event on Saturday were “simply learning about non-violence”.
The group has called for a citizen-led assembly that has the power to tax the rich.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said of Saturday’s arrests: “There is a clear difference between lawful protest and criminal acts.
“We will continue to take action to disrupt this group where we have grounds to suspect they are involved in a wider conspiracy to commit criminal offences, including organised shoplifting and the unlawful occupation of shops.
“Theft, criminal damage and aggravated trespass are crimes, and the public expect the police to deal with them – which is exactly what we have done.”
