London, UK – Three supporters of Take Back Power delivered a pile of manure to the Ritz, in a protest targeting extreme wealth and inequality ahead of Christmas.

Take Back Power is a new nonviolent civil-resistance group demanding that the UK government create a permanent citizens’ assembly – a House of the People – with the power to tax extreme wealth and “fix Britain.” Also taking action was Tom Barber, 65, a former doctor, journalist and community worker from Nottingham.

“Power is concentrated in the hands of a small group of obscenely wealthy and ruthless individuals. They are hell-bent on enriching themselves, forcing the gap between the haves and the have-nots ever wider,” Barber said.

“Everyday people must Take Back Power, compelling our government to create a permanent citizens’ assembly – a House of the People. Only then can we start making decisions for everyone’s benefit – taxing the rich, creating a fairer society and restoring our faith in our democracy.”

At around 12:05 today, three Take Back Power supporters deposited a pile of manure beneath the Christmas tree in the lobby of the luxury hotel. They were quickly removed and then stood outside the entrance holding signs reading “INEQUALITY IS SHIT” and “TAX THE RICH.”

A Take Back Power spokesperson said: “The super-rich have more than doubled their wealth since the pandemic, while this Christmas, a third of UK children suffer and grow up in poverty. It’s time ordinary people – those most affected by inequality, get a say in deciding how to tax wealth through the means of a legally binding citizen’s assembly – a House of the People.”

The group says it will continue nonviolent action “to resist the super-rich” until the government makes a meaningful statement on its demand for a permanent House of the People.

One participant, Ellen Redwood-Brown, 23, an NHS worker, said: “The billionaires, corporations, and corrupt politicians running Britain don’t care about us. While working in the NHS I’ve seen people dying because they couldn’t get appointments whilst doctors are working 15 hour shifts.”

“The UK has 156 billionaires. We could take away 75% of that wealth to fix Britain and we’d still have 156 billionaires. We must let ordinary people decide how to tax the rich,” she added.

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