With 50+ arrested, Republic leader slams policing as 'heavy-handed'
Graham Smith, the leader of the Republic, says his arrest alongside 51 others at King Charles III's coronation undermines the citizens' right to protest.
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Member of Republic holds a placard that reads out: "Abolish the monarchy, not the right to protest" on May 6 after police arrested members of the group during the coronation of King Charles III in London, UK. (@RepublicStaff/Twitter)
Members of Republic, the anti-monarchists group, denounced the policing measures employed by UK authorities on the day of King Charles' coronation, adding that the right to peaceful protest in the country does not exist after police detained multiple protesters on May 6.
In a statement condemning the events of Saturday, Graham Smith, the leader of Republic, said, "This was a heavy-handed action which had the appearance of a pre-determined arrest that would have occurred regardless of the evidence or our actions. The right to protest peacefully in the UK no longer exists."
Police arrested Graham Smith and 51 others in central London as they demonstrated in the face of thousands of Royalists. Police stated that their responsibility to circumvent disruption took precedence over the right to protest.
Detainees were gradually released on Saturday evening after being held captive for about 16 hours. Smith believes that "these arrests were not about protecting people from harm, but about protecting the King from embarrassment," while police said they understood public concern over the arrests but took action after receiving information about protesters' intent to cause disruption in London.
#Britons are more likely to say their views of the #monarchy have worsened than improved over the past decade, according to a #CNN poll.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 6, 2023
What comes after #KingCharles' coronation? Will the anti-monarchy movement continue to grow in the #UK? pic.twitter.com/sW9Aq3PztT
Mark Rowley, London Police Chief, cautioned demonstrators a day prior to the King's coronation against attempting to "obstruct the enjoyment and celebration" of people, confirming that the police would have "very low tolerance" for any disorder.
Human Rights Watch slammed Saturday's arrest by UK police of protesters at the coronation of King Charles III as "incredibly alarming", attacking the UK government for its "increasingly averse" stance on public demonstrations.
English Police acquired wider jurisdiction in relation to suppressing protests after a new law was passed last year which came into force 3 days prior to the royal event. It was also reported that police seized a number of "rape alarms", saying that those who carried them planned to utilize them during the procession on Saturday, however, the local Westminister Council expressed its concern that some of its "night safety" volunteers were arrested on May 6.
"We are deeply concerned by reports of our Night Stars volunteers being arrested overnight," Aicha Less, local councilor said, as the council works with the Metropolitan Police to establish the exact sequence of events that led to the arrests.
On the other hand, Culture Minister Lucy Frazer expressed her confidence in the police, while stressing that they were in the right to make the arrests on Saturday, which she claimed came in line with maintaining British national security.
