Four protesters were arrested on Saturday after throwing custard and apple crumble on the display case containing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, police said. Take Back Power, an organisation that describes itself as a civil resistance group, claimed responsibility for the action. The group posted footage of the incident on social media. “Democracy has crumbled!” a young woman yelled, with a man adding, “Britain is broken.” “We’ve come here, to the jewels of the nation, to take back power,” he added.Take Back Power said in a statement that it is calling on the govt to set up a permanent House of the People “that has the power to tax extreme wealth and fix Britain.”

The Tower’s Jewel House was temporarily closed to the public after the incident. Police said the protesters were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that looks after the Tower, said the Crown Jewels were not damaged.The incident at the Tower of London, one of London’s most popular tourist attractions, was the second demonstration claimed by Take Back Power in the past few days. On Wednesday, three protesters dumped bags of manure under The Ritz’s Christmas tree.Britain’s Crown Jewels contain 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, four rubies and 269 pearls. Historic Royal Palaces describes the crown as “priceless, being of incalculable cultural, historical, and symbolic value.” Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Queen Camilla and other members of the Royal Family waved to the crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony as they waited for the Royal Air Force fly-past in central London on May 6-2023. Apart from coronations, the crown is only brought out for formal occasions such as the State Opening of Parliament and is stored in the Tower of London’s Jewel House when not in use. It was made for the coronation of King George VI in 1937.