Crown Jewels protest turns messy
What started as a dramatic protest at the Tower of London took an unexpected turn when a Kiwi police officer on holiday became the one making arrests.
Senior Constable Mark Strongman — a Waikato officer with almost 30 years on the job — was visiting the Tower with his family when he heard a commotion ahead of him. Curious, he went to check it out and found protesters had thrown custard and fruit crumble over a display case containing the Crown Jewels.
“I walked up to the two female suspects and introduced myself, letting them know I was arresting them for criminal behaviour and advising them of their rights,” he said. “I took an oath to the Crown, so I figured my arrest procedures would hold up.”
Even though he was halfway around the world and technically off duty, instinct kicked in.
One of the women was carrying a backpack, which raised Strongman’s concern. “I quickly removed that and waited with them until the Metropolitan Police arrived,” he said. “As you can imagine, the whole place shuts down when the Crown Jewels are at risk — thick steel doors slammed closed.”
Meanwhile, his wife Carmen and other family members had walked ahead and had no idea what was happening behind them.
The protest was carried out by Take Back Power, a civil-resistance group calling for a permanent citizens’ assembly with the authority to tax extreme wealth and “fix Britain.” After splattering the dessert across the display, two supporters held up a sign reading: “Democracy has crumbled — tax the rich.”
On their website, the group says Britain’s political leaders “serve the super-rich” and ignore everyday people. They argue that wealth inequality is worsening and demand a citizen-led assembly with real power.
One protester, 21-year-old Miriam Cranch, said the gap between rich and poor is pushing the country toward unrest. “Britain is broken because the super rich are pocketing billions while working people struggle,” she said. “It’s time ordinary people had a say in how to tax wealth, through a permanent House of the People.”
Metropolitan Police officers arrived soon after and arrested four people. They also thanked Strongman for stepping in so quickly, saying his actions helped prevent further damage and meant the Tower could stay open to visitors.
Strongman has since carried on with his European holiday and is set to return to New Zealand before Christmas, where he works with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team.