Anti-monarchists decried the heavy-handed policing of King Charles’ coronation on Sunday, saying there was no longer a right to peaceful protest in Britain after dozens of protesters were arrested and detained late into the night.
As thousands of royal fans gathered in the capital for the event on Saturday, police arrested Graham Smith, leader of the Republic group, and dozens of others in central London, saying their duty to prevent disruption outweighed the right to protest.
Members were released late Saturday evening after nearly 16 hours in custody, according to Republic.
“This was a heavy-handed action that appeared to be a pre-planned arrest that would have happened regardless of the evidence or our actions.” “The right to peaceful protest in the United Kingdom no longer exists,” Smith said in a statement.
“These arrests were not about protecting people from harm, but about protecting the King from embarrassment.”
The Metropolitan Police in London announced on Sunday night that 64 arrests had been made on Saturday for offenses ranging from breach of the peace to conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
One was charged with violating the public order act, while others were released on bail.
On Saturday, police said they understood the public’s outrage following the arrests, but that they acted after receiving information that protesters were determined to disrupt the coronation procession.
London police chief Mark Rowley warned on Friday that if protesters attempted to “obstruct the enjoyment and celebration” of others, police would take action, adding that there would be a “very low tolerance” for disruption.
A new policing law passed last year, as well as a public order act that went into effect on May 3, gave police more power to suppress protests.
A separate incident occurred after police arrested three people and seized a number of rape alarms on Saturday morning. The police cited intelligence that the alarms were being set off to disrupt the procession, but the local Westminster Council expressed concern that trained volunteers for a night safety scheme had been detained.
“We are deeply concerned about reports of our Night Stars volunteers being arrested overnight,” said local councilor Aicha Less, adding that the volunteers would be supported.
“We’re working with the Met Police to figure out exactly what happened.”
Wes Streeting, a senior Labour Party lawmaker, declined to comment on specific arrests while investigations were ongoing but said London’s police would be held accountable for their overall approach to the coronation.
Tens of thousands of people gathered to see newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla as they rode in a state coach back to Buckingham Palace following Saturday’s service at Westminster Abbey.
Hundreds of Republicans booed and waved banners reading “Not My King” as they gathered to watch Charles.
Culture Minister Lucy Frazer expressed her trust in the police and said they were correct to take a tougher stance on an event that could have raised concerns about national security.
“I think overall (the police) managed to get that balance right,” Frazer said to Sky News.
