No political pressure over Coronation protest arrests - Met officer

The Metropolitan Police was not nether governmental unit to halt anti-monarchy protesters astatine the Coronation, a elder Met serviceman has told MPs.

Matt Twist, adjunct commissioner, told the Home Affairs Select Committee that constabulary had intel astir disruption.

The unit has been criticised for arresting six members of anti-monarchy radical Republic and 3 women's information volunteers.

Republic said it had "no intention" of causing disruption by protesting.

Mr Twist told MPs that the unit had received quality determination was going to beryllium a "concerted effort to disrupt the Coronation procession" connected 6 May.

He added they had been truthful acrophobic they alerted Home Secretary Suella Braverman and London Mayor Sadiq Khan the nighttime earlier the celebrations began.

Police were fixed other powers soon earlier the Coronation nether a arguable caller law, the Public Order Act 2023.

This resulted successful protesters, including the main enforcement of Republic, Graham Smith, being held successful constabulary custody for astir 16 hours, past bailed. They were aboriginal told that nary further enactment would beryllium taken against them.

The 3 women's information volunteers who were arrested were besides released without charge. Westminster City Council has said it asked for an apology from the constabulary to the Night Star volunteers, who manus retired rape alarms.

Mr Twist was asked by committee chairwoman Diana Johnson whether helium felt immoderate governmental unit to marque arrests during the Coronation.

He responded helium lone "felt unit to present a harmless and unafraid operation, but that was due to the fact that of the information that it was a once-in-a-lifetime lawsuit for truthful galore people".

He added it was the biggest extortion cognition the Met has run, with 312 protected radical that they had to get successful and retired of the Abbey successful astir 90 minutes.

"So the stakes were enormously high, truthful I perfectly felt unit to present a harmless and unafraid operation. But that wasn't governmental pressure," Mr Twist said.

Voices could beryllium heard successful the enclosure on with radical groaning and asking for information to intervene, portion 8 Just Stop Oil members were besides arrested successful Parliament Square.

When the proceeding resumed pursuing the little interruption, Mr Twist told the committee that constabulary believed the menace to the Coronation was real.

He added they had had abbreviated announcement betwixt the enactment getting Royal Assent and the constabulary being informed. However, helium believed officers knew what they had to bash connected the day.

Anti-monarchy protester Matt Turnbull told the committee constabulary officers were funny successful immoderate luggage straps that Republic were utilizing to clasp their placards together.

Mr Smith added his radical had brought 600 placards successful their van, which explains wherefore they needed trolleys and the straps.

Mr Twist said arrests were made aft officers recovered 12 dense work straps with operation locks successful sealed integrative bags.

Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, asked Mr Twist if helium had seen luggage straps with operation locks utilized to fastener connected protestation signs.

He said helium hadn't, but that didn't mean it didn't happen.

Suzie Melvin, who volunteers for the Night Stars information strategy and was arrested during the Coronation weekend, besides spoke to MPs.

She described however the squad were wearing hi-vis jackets "with the Metropolitan Police logo" owed to their concern with the force,and backpacks successful the aboriginal hours of the Saturday greeting connected the Coronation weekend.

As they approached Soho Square successful cardinal London, officers looked done their bags and they were arrested and taken into constabulary custody, contempt them showing emails and leaflets from Westminster City Council and the Night Stars website, she said.

Ms Melvin stated the arresting constabulary serviceman told her they were "specifically looking" for radical from her organisation. She believed it could person been linked to volunteers carrying rape alarms, portion of an "anti-spiking kit" they manus retired to radical enjoying a nighttime out.

The Met antecedently said it had "received intelligence" radical "were readying to usage rape alarms to disrupt the procession".

Ms Melvin was released the time aft the Coronation.

This led committee chairwoman Dame Diana Johnson to reply: "I americium speechless."

Meanwhile, a ailment has besides been lodged by royal fanAlice Chambers, 36, who was held successful custody for 13 hoursafter she was mistaken for a Just Stop Oil protester portion waiting successful the Mall to spot the King.The Metropolitan Police person said it regrets she was not capable to ticker the Coronation. She was released with nary further action.

A full of 64 arrests were made during the policing cognition for the Coronation, the Met said.

The constabulary said 52 of those were related to concerns radical were going to disrupt the event.