LOONDON: The head of anti-monarchist campaign group Republic has been arrested at a protest in Trafalgar Square ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III. Footage shows protesters in “Not My King” t-shirts being detained, including Republic’s CEO Graham Smith, the BBC reported. Six demonstrators, including Smith, were arrested by police while unloading placards near the Coronation procession route, the group said. Republic posted photos of officers taking details from them on Twitter.
“So much for the right to peaceful protest,” the group said, adding the officers would not give the reasons for their arrest and confirmed their CEO was among them. Matt Turnbull, one of those arrested, said the straps holding the placards had been “misconstrued” as something that could be used for locking on, the BBC reported.
“To be honest we were never going to be allowed to be a visible force here — they knew we were coming, and they were going to find a way to stop this,” he told the BBC.
The BBC later saw Turnbull being led away in handcuffs. New legislation passed this week made it illegal to prepare to lock-on to things like street furniture. The Metropolitan Police has not confirmed the exact number of people detained, but did say a number of arrests had been made near the Coronation parade route.
Several people have been detained on suspicion of breaching the peace on Carlton House Terrace, near St James’ Park, the BBC reported.
Four persons have been held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance in the area of St Martin’s Lane, by Trafalgar Square, with lock-on devices seized while three more were held on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage near Wellington Arch.
On Friday, Smith said he had been speaking with the Met to organise the protest since January and he was not concerned he would be arrested, as the new laws would not apply to their plans. He told BBC Radio Leeds that Republic “certainly have no intention of actually disrupting” the proceedings. (IANS)
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