Take Back Power redistributes essential items whilst occupying high-end stores and hotels

Take Back Power supporters have been occupying the playgrounds of the wealthy again on the morning of 1 May. And they’ve ‘liberated’ items from a superstore to redistribute them back to the communities that need them. Take Back Power is a nonviolent campaign, demanding a tax on extreme wealth, to be decided by a ‘House of the People’.

At around 9am, three Take Back Power supporters entered the Tesco Extra on Acre Lane in Brixton, took essential items from the shelves and left without paying. The action takers then donated the items at a local food-bank drop-off point. At around 10am, all three attempted to hand themselves in at Brixton Police Station. So far none have been arrested.

Take Back Power carried out a similar action in four UK cities in March.

At 11.45am, a further 18 Take Back Power supporters occupied the luxury department store Liberty, on Regent Street in London. They could held signs which read ‘3 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS SKIPPING MEALS’ and ‘TAX THE SUPER-RICH NOW.’

At around 1pm, this group then reconvened, disrupting access to the luxury hotel Claridges. The group chanted “WE DEMAND EQUALITY!’ and ‘HOW DO WE TAX THE SUPER RICH? – A HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE!’ as security attempted to move the supporters away from the door.

A Take Back Power spokesperson said:

Take Back Power is calling for an emergency ‘House of the People’ to deal with the cost of living crisis. When politicians are too busy lining their pockets to fix our problems, we need the people most impacted to have a seat at the table.

A House of the People selected by democratic lottery, like a jury, is a no-brainer solution to cut out the corruption and decide how to redistribute wealth.

Take Back Power supporters explain the action

One of those taking action redistributing food today, Moshe Dixon, 25, from Dundee, said:

My mother came from poverty and fought tooth and nail to give me a better future. Like so many mothers she was promised that hard work would be rewarded, yet we are living in a country where so many families can’t make ends meet despite working multiple jobs.

6.5 million people had to turn to foodbanks in 2024. Meanwhile the CEO of Tesco is taking home 430 times the pay of the average Tesco employee, and the rich are paying a smaller share of tax than working people.

Also taking action today, occupying high-end stores and hotels, was Hannah McDonald, 20, a student from Liverpool, who said:

14 million people last year were faced with the prospect of going hungry, in this, the sixth richest nation on earth! Now we have a cost of living tsunami on the way and the government is nowhere to be seen.

This is broken Britain. We need a House of the People – an assembly with real power, where ordinary mums, nurses, posties & cleaners, get a real say in how to take back our power from the super rich, and redistribute that wealth and power back to working people.

The actions come as the UK braces for food shortages and soaring prices as a result of Trump and Netanyahu’s war on Iran. Rising fuel, fertiliser and commodity prices are beginning to feed into business costs.

Take Back Power says it’s time to take on the super-rich who are profiteering from a world in crisis. This is why it’s demanding that the UK government establishes an emergency House of the People – a citizen’s assembly chosen by democratic lottery, that has the power to tax extreme wealth and fix the UK.

Until the government makes a meaningful statement in response to this demand, the group says it will undertake nonviolent action to resist the super-rich, who are driving us towards social collapse. Donate or sign up to take action at TakeBackPower.net.

Featured image via Take Back Power