SIX supporters of campaign group Youth Demand have been arrested while attending a meeting in central London.

More than 30 officers made the arrests at a welcome talk being held at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster at around 7.30pm on Thursday, the group said.

The Met said they were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

Youth Demand said the meeting was “an opportunity to share plans for non-violent civil resistance actions” due to take place in April, and that one of those arrested was a journalist.

The group said police repression had “reached a new level” and a number of houses had been raided on Thursday and today as part of the operation.

Youth Demand, who describe themselves as a “new youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide,” began carrying out acts of civil disobedience last year.

Its demands on the government include stopping all trade with Israel and raising money from “the super rich and fossil fuel elite” to pay damages for the effects of fossil fuel burning.

A Youth Demand spokesperson said: “It’s clear that the government sees Youth Demand as a threat. They know that we are right.”

The spokesperson said there were thousands of young people who were “horrified by what the government is doing to facilitate genocide.”

They added: “We will not be silenced. Young people all over the country are coming together to shut London down day after day throughout April.”

A Met spokesperson said: “Youth Demand have stated an intention to ‘shut down’ London over the month of April using tactics including ‘swarming’ and road blocks.

“While we absolutely recognise the importance of the right to protest, we have a responsibility to intervene to prevent activity that crosses the line from protest into serious disruption and other criminality.

“On Thursday, officers raided a Youth Demand planning meeting where those in attendance were plotting their April action.”

Previous demonstrations by Youth Demand included three people hanging a banner and laying rows of children’s shoes outside Sir Keir Starmer’s home in April last year.

Leonorah Ward, 21, Zosia Lewis, 23, and Daniel Formentin, 24, were each handed suspended prison sentences following the incident.

More of the group’s members were arrested last July after they announced plans to disrupt the State Opening of Parliament.

Youth Demand are due to host another welcome talk in Brighton on Monday evening, according to their website.