UK police ‘regret’ coronation day protests amid rights concerns
The leader of an anti-monarchist group and five other activists were arrested as Charles III prepared to be officially crowned.
British police have expressed regret over the arrests of the leader of an anti-monarchist group and five others at King Charles’s coronation after criticism that the security response was heavy-handed.
London’s Met Police said they were sorry six of those arrested at the event were unable to protest at the coronation on Saturday. Their bail has been canceled and no further action will be taken, the police statement said.
“We regret that the six people arrested were unable to join the wider group of protesters in Trafalgar Square and elsewhere along the processional route,” the statement, issued late Monday, said.
Police had claimed the arrests were made because officers found ‘lock-on’ items – devices protesters use to tactically lock themselves in position so police find it difficult to remove them. But in their statement, police said they could not prove that the protesters intended to use the items to imprison themselves at positions on the coronation route.
Republic pressure group director Graham Smith, who was one of six protesters arrested, said on Twitter that police had personally apologized to him on Monday, but that he planned to talk to lawyers about taking legal action.
Republic said the items in question were intended to secure banners.
A man was also arrested for possession of a knife.
There were more than 11,000 police officers on the streets of central London for the coronation, the largest ceremonial event in London for 70 years, and a total of 64 arrests were made.
As thousands of people lined the streets of London to celebrate the historic event, those protesting the monarchy gathered at the Charles I statue in Trafalgar Square in English for a ‘Not my King’ rally. Similar demonstrations also took place in Glasgow in Scotland and Cardiff in Wales.
Civil rights group Liberty tweeted on Tuesday: “This embarrassing episode for the Met demonstrates the dangers of handing broad and ill-defined powers to the police – who we now know are only too happy to use and abuse those powers.”
Republic said in a statement: “Our message is simple. Instead of a coronation we want an election, instead of Charles we want a choice.”
After Smith’s arrest, Republic tweeted, “Hundreds of plates seized. Is this democracy?”
Buckingham Palace has not yet commented on the arrests.
Royal biographer Christopher Wilson said on Saturday that King Charles III has seen protests all his life.
“He, I think, is a real Democrat who believes in free speech,” Wilson told Al Jazeera.
“The Republic movement is not a terrorist movement in any way. It’s just a protest vote and they have a right to free speech. After all, Britain should be the cradle of democracy. Free speech is one of the great principles of our lives,” said Wilson.