The UK’s culture secretary defended police action after dozens of arrests were made Saturday during King Charles III’s coronation in London.
(Bloomberg) — The UK’s culture secretary defended police action after dozens of arrests were made Saturday during King Charles III’s coronation in London.
“This was an event that would have raised questions about national security,” Lucy Frazer, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, said on Sky’s “Sophie Ridge on Sunday” after civil rights groups criticized the police for a heavy hand.
Tens of thousands of people gathered on London’s streets to watch the coronation, with some 2,000 dignitaries, spiritual leaders and celebrities attending the ceremony in person. Groups of anti-monarchy campaigners were also on hand in the British capital to protest against the enthronement.
“This was an event on the world stage and I think it is really important for the police to put their policing into that context,” Frazer said, adding that the constabulary “managed to get that balance right.”
The 52 arrests related to alleged violations of public order, breaches of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, according to the Metropolitan Police. Republic, a campaign group pressing to replace the sovereign with an elected head of state, said that its leader, Graham Smith, was among those detained.
Arrests started Saturday morning, before the coronation ceremony began. In the first incident, police detained a number of people in the area of Carlton House Terrace, while four protesters were also held in the vicinity of St. Martin’s Lane. Three people were later arrested close to Wellington Arch, the Metropolitan Police said on Twitter. All three locations were near the route of the coronation procession.
While the police said it acted “proportionately and in the context of the event,” Human Rights Watch said the arrests were “incredibly alarming,” and Amnesty UK noted that the right to protest is protected by international law.
Protests from environmental campaigners at Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have regularly brought traffic and public transport to a standstill in recent years by blocking bridges, motorways and London’s subway network.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in January announced plans to strengthen anti-protest legislation, giving police additional powers to clamp down on demonstrations even before they’ve caused any disruption. The move drew criticism from civil liberty groups as well as the opposition Labour Party.
Frazer acknowledged people’s right to protest, but said it was important to get the balance right.
“What we’ve seen over the last few years is a change in tactics of protesters,” Frazer said in a separate interview on the BBC’s “Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg” show. “What we’ve needed to do is redress that balance because people also have a right to live their day-to-day life.”
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