UNITED KINGDOM: ‘Incredibly alarming’ arrests had been initiated by the police of the Republican protesters prior to the King’s coronation ceremony. The arrests that took place on Saturday also incorporated that of the anti-monarchy group Republic’s chief executive. Campaigners said that these actions were “something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London”.
About 13 protests were held in custody on the mall before the coronation ceremony. In addition, five demonstrators were arrested at Downing Street and one at Piccadilly, according to a spokeswoman for the campaign group.
Before being arrested, a protester highlighted, “We had a delivery of placards ready for the protest, and then the tactical support unit questioned us as to how we had got through the road closures. They then said they found evidence of means of locking on, of items that could be used to lock on, and they arrested us.”
The Metropolitan Police announced that four protesters were arrested on St. Martin’s Lane on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance and that lock-on devices had been seized. Human rights group Liberty called this intervention “a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation.”
Graham Smith has been seen as the CEO of Republic, was a video of protesters being held in custody on St. Martin’s Lane near Trafalgar Square that was posted on Twitter shortly after 7 a.m. An officer in one video mentioned, “I’m not going to get into a conversation about that; they are under arrest, end of.”
The security forces also admitted to making several arrests for breaking the peace near Carlton House Terrace and three more in the Wellington Arch on speculation of having items destined for criminal trespass.
The chief executive of Amnesty International, Sacha Deshmukh, voiced alarm after having heard that police had been told to stop people using megaphones. In objection to the monarchy, hundreds of people joined a march through Cardiff’s downtown during the King’s crowning outside of London.
A member of campaign group Republic and chairman of the Labour For Republic organisation, Nick Wall, said, “I felt compelled to say a few words because one of Republic’s co-ordinators, his name is Ben, and he’s only 21 years of age, and he’s been arrested. It’s appalling.”
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