Eight Activists Charged After December 2025 Crown Jewels, The Ritz Incidents
Eight activists have been charged with criminal damage by the Metropolitan Police after two high-profile protest actions in London last year. The incidents targeted The Ritz Hotel and the Crown Jewels, drawing attention to a new group, Take Back Power.
Four individuals are charged in connection with the 3 December 2025 incident at The Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly, where bags of manure were reportedly dumped inside the premises. Those charged are Ellen Redwood-Brown, 23; Tom Barber, 66; Toby Ellwood, 21; and Tjalle Rumley, 26.
A separate group of four faces charges relating to the 6 December 2025 incident at the Tower of London. Here, crumble and custard were thrown at a display case containing the Crown Jewels. Fatima Ali, 19; Miriam Cranch, 22; Mack Preston, 22; and Matthew Cooper, 50, are the accused.
Take Back Power, which identifies as a non-violent civil resistance group and an offshoot of Just Stop Oil, had previously claimed responsibility for both actions. Footage shared by the group showed protesters shouting, "Democracy has crumbled," as they defaced the Crown Jewels display.
The group stated their demand for the government to establish a permanent citizen's assembly, or "House of the People," tasked with taxing "extreme wealth" and reforming Britain. All eight defendants are scheduled to appear in court within the next fortnight.
In a related development, 66-year-old David Kilroy from Plymouth has been charged with theft following an alleged organised shoplifting incident at a Sainsbury's in Lewisham on 14 March 2026. This action aligns with a prior police statement regarding the arrest of 15 Take Back Power activists for alleged plans for "mass shoplifting" to redistribute goods.
Just Stop Oil, known for its own disruptive protests, referred to Take Back Power as a "new project" as it announced an end to its direct action tactics in March.
