There is growing anger tonight at the Metropolitan Police’s controversial decision to arrest dozens of demonstrators ahead of the Coronation.
Politicians across the parties called on the police to explain why they took such strong action. Over 50 people were detained.
In Trafalgar Square on Saturday morning the Mirror heard a senior police chief order his officers to arrest anyone with a megaphone for “breaching the peace.”
He added: “We can de-arrest them later if we need to.”
Shadow minister Jess Philips insisted “our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view”.
Sir Chris Bryant said that “freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy”.
Veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell said: “This isn’t right.
“This obscuring of our protest is an infringement of our rights and goes against everything the police promised beforehand.”
Among those arrested was Graham Smith, the chief executive of Republic.
He said the detentions “destroyed whatever trust might have existed between protest groups and the police.
He went on: “I have campaigned on the issue of the monarchy for 20 years.
“Time and again I have been told the monarchy protects us from tyranny, that the monarch guards our democracy and freedoms, defending us against the excesses of government.
“These arrests put the lie to those claims and are another example of the weakness of our constitution and the failure of our constitutional monarchy.”
Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said Labour would “wait and see” whether the force got the balance right, adding “accountability” over policing decisions was important.
Mr Streeting said if they did not get it right, it was important to “hold your hands up”.
The Met has been heavily criticised over the detentions, with some campaign groups likening the “incredibly alarming” arrests to “something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London”.
The force confirmed 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation.
Metropolitan Police Commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yard’s actions.
She said: “Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation.”
