Met Police faces heat over 'totalitarian' crackdown on citizens during king's coronation; 64 arrests in one day
Out of the 64 arrested people, 57 were released later in the day as it turned out that they were arrested in suspicion that they can carry offenses like drug trafficking, public order violation (religious), sexual misconduct and violent protests
Police officers detain a member of "Just Stop Oil" movement during a protest ahead of Britain's King Charles' procession to his coronation ceremony from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, at The Mall in London, Britain May 6, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/Pool
The Metropolitan police in the United Kingdom came under heavy fire for a “totalitarian” crackdown on citizens during King’s coronation after it was revealed that they had made 64 arrests, including the leader of an anti-monarchy group as the event took place in Westminster, London.
The Met police reportedly made 64 arrests during the day and charged four men with narcotics and public order crimes.
According to the reports, 14 people who were detained on suspicion of breaking the peace and 32 others who were detained on suspicion of producing a public nuisance have been released on bond.
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Police have so far filed four charges, including one for a religiously aggravating public order violation and two others for class A drug possession.
All four suspects are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later this month. Another suspect is charged with a violation of section 5 of the Public Order Act.
Campaign organisations heavily criticised the police for detaining protestors on Saturday, calling the arrests “incredibly alarming.”
Eleven more people were freed on bond on suspicion of crimes such as sexual assault, disturbing the peace, and harassment, and two people suspected of disturbing the peace were also freed, according to the police.
However, Graham Smith, the leader of the anti-monarchy group Republic, was detained as a preventive measure even before the coronation started.
After spending 16 hours in detention and being freed on Saturday night, he stated the police department should “hang their heads in shame.”
Eight Republic team members in total were detained as they got ready for “a peaceful and lawful protest,” he continued.
He said, the police had been “intimidating, heavy-handed, unwilling to listen, unwilling to cooperate, or unwilling to engage.”
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, claimed he had asked the force’s top brass for “clarity” over the arrests.
Police struck the “right balance” between permitting protest and taking in the King’s coronation, according to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, who spoke to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge.
After receiving harsh criticism from MPs and human rights organisations on the arrests, she defended the Met, arguing that police had not overstepped their bounds.
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