Coronation: Metropolitan Police criticised over anti-monarchy group arrests

MPs and quality rights groups person criticised the Metropolitan Police aft 52 radical were arrested successful London connected the time of the Coronation.

Among those held was the caput of the radical Republic, which wants to scrap the monarchy and elite a caput of state.

Graham Smith, who was released connected Saturday evening aft 16 hours successful custody, said determination was "no longer a close to peaceful protestation successful the UK".

Scotland Yard said it had acted "in a proportionate manner".

Commander Karen Findlay defended her officers' effect to protests during the time of the Coronation, saying they had a work to intervene "when protestation becomes transgression and whitethorn origin superior disruption".

She added that the Coronation was a "once successful a procreation lawsuit and that is simply a cardinal information successful our assessment"

Scotland Yard said those arrested had been held connected suspicion of affray, nationalist bid offences, breach of the bid and conspiracy to origin a nationalist nuisance astir the coronation.

While campaigners insisted their protests were peaceful the constabulary said they had quality that groups were "determined to disrupt" the occasion.

Several Labour MPs criticised the Met's response, with elder backbencher Sir Chris Bryant penning connected Twitter that "freedom of code is the metallic thread that runs done a parliamentary law monarchy".

Shadow curate Jess Philips besides utilized societal media to accidental that "our federation and our King is not truthful fragile arsenic to not beryllium capable to instrumentality harmless protestation of a antithetic view".

Labour MP Richard Burgon said helium was ''deeply concerned" by the arrests, portion MP Zarah Sultana said: "Whatever you deliberation of the monarchy, the close to peaceful protestation is cardinal to democracy."

Among those captious of the Met was the UK manager of Human Rights Watch, Yasmine Ahmed, who likened its actions to "something you would expect to spot successful Moscow, not London".

Mr Smith confirmed his merchandise from constabulary custody precocious connected Saturday evening, adding that different members of Republic were inactive connected custody.

Writing connected Twitter helium said determination was "no longer a close to peaceful protestation successful the UK".

"I person been told galore times the monarch is determination to support our freedoms. Now our freedoms are nether onslaught successful his name."

Mr Smith was arrested aboriginal connected Saturday - earlier the Coronation began - astatine a protestation successful Trafalgar Square.

Footage during the time showed respective protesters wearing "Not My King" T-shirts being detained - including Mr Smith.

Republic besides said hundreds of its placards had been seized by police.

The Met said it had confiscated "lock-on devices" - which protesters tin usage to unafraid themselves to things similar railings.

But Matt Turnbull, different subordinate of Republic who was arrested, said the straps being utilized to clasp the placards had been "misconstrued" arsenic lock-on devices.

Elsewhere connected Saturday, clime activistic radical Just Stop Oil said astir 13 protesters were arrested connected The Mall successful cardinal London on with 5 others successful Downing Street.

A Just Stop Oil spokeswoman said their program was "only to show T-shirts and flags", adding: "This is simply a dystopian nightmare."

Concerns astir the police's attack to the Coronation were besides raised by Westminster City Council's furniture subordinate for communities and nationalist extortion implicit reports that volunteers with its Night Star programme had been arrested portion handing retired rape alarms.

Councillor Aicha Less said the authorization was "working with the Metropolitan Police to found precisely what happened" advertisement was "in interaction with our volunteers to guarantee they are receiving the enactment they need".