BackLAW
Eight activists charged after Crown Jewels and The Ritz targeted
Eight activists have been charged with criminal damage following stunts targeting The Ritz and the Crown Jewels in London in December 2025. Take Back Power, described as a non-violent civil resistance group and an offshoot of Just Stop Oil, has claimed responsibility for the incidents. The case sits within wider police actions against Take Back Power and related protests.
Why It Matters
Shows ongoing legal consequences for activists targeting national symbols and reveals how protest groups are evolving and being tracked by law enforcement in the UK.
Timeline
8 Events
April 29, 2026: Kilroy to appear at Bexley Magistrates' Court
April 29, 2026
David Kilroy, 66, will appear at Bexley Magistrates' Court on 29 April 2026.
April 19, 2026: Eight activists charged after Ritz and Crown Jewels protests
April 19, 2026
Eight activists have been charged with criminal damage following the December 2025 stunts at The Ritz Hotel and the Crown Jewels display; four charged over each incident.
April 19, 2026: 15 Take Back Power activists arrested
April 19, 2026
The Metropolitan Police said 15 activists from Take Back Power were arrested earlier in 2026 over alleged plans for 'mass shoplifting' in London.
March 14, 2026: Sainsbury's Lewisham theft charged
March 14, 2026
David Kilroy, 66, from Plymouth, was charged with theft following an alleged incident of organised shoplifting at a Sainsbury's in Lewisham on 14 March 2026.
March 2026: Just Stop Oil ends direct action
March 2026
Just Stop Oil announced it was ending its use of direct action in March.
End of 2025: Take Back Power emerges on social media
December 31, 2025
Take Back Power emerged on social media channels used by Just Stop Oil activists at the end of 2025, describing itself as a new project.
December 6, 2025: Crown Jewels display protest charges
December 6, 2025
Four people were charged over a separate incident in which crumble and custard was thrown at a display case containing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.
December 3, 2025: Ritz Hotel protest charges
December 3, 2025
Four people aged 21 to 66 were charged after bags of manure were dumped and poured onto the floor of The Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly.