Undercover with Youth Demand: A New Era of Radical Protest and Political Ambitions

[Social Media]

 

In a dimly lit basement beneath a London community centre, applause echoed as a room full of young activists gathered to celebrate defiance. It was a Saturday afternoon in May, and Youth Demand, the newest movement embracing the disruptive tactics of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, was hosting an awards ceremony for its arrested members.

 

 

The mood was festive but defiant. Prizes were handed out for various acts of resistance, including an award dubbed “Rizzing up the resistance” for those who led chants and energized crowds, and “Fried for Falestine” for anyone burned by a flare during protests. The ceremony, part of Youth Demand’s wider strategy launch, aimed to solidify the group’s identity and prepare its members for future direct actions.

 

 

Youth Demand describes itself as a “non-violent civil resistance group” with two bold demands: a complete end to UK trade with Israel, and the redistribution of £1 trillion from fossil fuel companies by 2030. “For us, this isn’t about doing one big thing and going home,” said one of the co-founders during the event. “This is the inhale before we breathe out and expand into brand new territory, into something even bigger than we’ve tried before.”

Youth Demand @youth_demand shut down 3 intersections in London, including outside the unwelcome israeli embassy: it’s worth a watch pic.twitter.com/BrUk8mm94e

— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) June 6, 2025

 

Dozens of the group’s members were arrested in April after staging over 70 roadblocks across London. Some also disrupted the London Marathon by throwing red powder near the men’s elite race at Tower Bridge. Other actions included placing child-sized body bags outside Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s home and hanging a banner with red handprints reading “Starmer stop the killing” at the Prime Minister’s residence.

 

 

The Times sent an undercover reporter to three of Youth Demand’s events, including training sessions where participants were taught techniques likely to result in arrest. They were also instructed on legal rights and what to do if detained.

 

“There’s a badge of honour in getting arrested,” one organiser said as awards were distributed to the mostly twenty-something crowd, many of whom wore keffiyehs in solidarity with Palestinians. “None of this may be able to go on your CV, but this badge will last a lifetime. Or as long as you don’t put it in the wash.”

 

Youth Demand’s signature protest, the “swarm,” involves blocking busy roads with banners and flares for ten-minute bursts before quickly dispersing—avoiding arrest, then repeating elsewhere. These actions fall under offences outlined in the Highways Act 1980, which criminalises the wilful obstruction of roads.

 

Upcoming events include a June series of training sessions titled “Seeds for revolution,” as well as a summer camp involving swimming, campfires, and further instruction in civil disobedience. These are being organized in partnership with Just Stop Oil, described by co-founder Sam Holland as “one of the most serious resistance groups in the country.”

 

“This is not your classic revolutionary organisation, which does an event once a year then goes back to their Lenin book clubs,” Holland told attendees. “We’re totally f***ing serious about this.”

 

Youth Demand is also aligning itself with Assemble, a political initiative under the same umbrella coalition, aiming to create a “House of the People” through citizen lotteries. Holland envisions this as the political wing to Youth Demand’s street resistance, likening the movement to the revolutionary spirit of Egypt’s 2011 uprisings. “This is the spirit that leads to revolutions and this is the spirit we’re building with Youth Demand,” he declared.

 

Among the crowd was Meaghan Leon, a 27-year-old activist who made headlines trying to disrupt Eurovision during Israel’s performance. Wearing a shirt that read “I do all my own stunts,” she told the group, “That was my first actual action. Somehow I have still never been in handcuffs… so you know what that means. I’ve just got to keep going.” The crowd erupted in cheers.

 

 

Youth Demand, fuelled by grassroots donations and growing membership, is preparing for what it claims will be its most significant actions yet.

 

Whether it succeeds in shifting policy or public sentiment remains uncertain—but its resolve is unmistakably clear.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-06-09

 

 

 

[Thingamabob]

Sad.

[Cameroni]

Nip it in the bud. Make it illegal.

[peter zwart]

It is kind of cute that young people always think they can change the rules of the game. Wisdom comes with time.

[impulse]

Makes ya kinda wonder where their money is coming from.

 

 

[stevenl]

Good to see there's hope for the future.

[Bkk Brian]

32 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Good to see there's hope for the future.

Agreed, we need more getting this badge...........

 

12 hours ago, Social Media said:

“There’s a badge of honour in getting arrested,”

 

[BangkokReady]

More outsiders/anarchists looking for an excuse to riot and smash things up.

[black tabby12345]

Stop oil.

And farewell to all the modern conveniences they take it for granted.

All of what they use for their "movement", heavily reliant on the usage of resources and materials they are supposed to hate.

Their home, food, clothing, footwear.

As well as those IT tools in their pocket.

They all come from modern technologies and industries they swear.

Ignorant and tunnel visioned brats that won't really go anywhere.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Good to see young folk politically engaged.

It’s a shame they don’t vote higher numbers, perhaps that will change.