activists
Monarchy opponents arrested in protest against coronation
For the time being, the police have given no reason for the arrests of the activists. photo
© Piroschka van de Wouw/Pool Reuters/AP/dpa
Numerous fans have gathered in London for the coronation procession. But there are also people who reject the monarchy. Some activists have now been arrested.
Before the coronation of King Charles III. London police arrested several people. According to activists, the head of the Republic organization, Graham Smith, was among the six people, activist Luke Whiting told the British news agency PA. Photos and videos posted by the Alliance of European Republican Movements on Twitter showed police officers checking some people’s documents. The demonstrators wanted to protest against the monarchy along the procession route with yellow flags and the inscription “Not my king”.
“The people are being held on suspicion of breach of the peace,” the police said. Four people had previously been arrested who had objects to chain with them. “You are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public disturbance,” it said. The authorities initially did not give an indication of how many people were arrested in total.
The police had announced a rigorous course against disturbers. The British government recently tightened the right to demonstrate drastically. A total of around 11,500 officers are deployed in London. Members of the climate protection group Just Stop Oil fought duels with Royals fans along the procession route.
Sharp criticism of arrests
Human Rights Watch has criticized the arrests of anti-monarchy opponents ahead of King Charles III’s coronation. sharp. “This is something you would expect in Moscow, but not in London,” Yasmine Ahmed, head of the human rights organization’s UK branch, said in a statement. “Peaceful protests allow people to hold those in power accountable. It’s something the UK government seems increasingly reluctant to do.”
Civil rights activist Peter Tatchell tweeted that the police had erected huge barriers to cover banners critical of the monarchy. “The right to peaceful protest suppressed. Shame!”