A Nottinghamshire MP has spoken out about anti-monarchy protests after police in London made a number of arrests. It comes after police made 52 arrests throughout the King’s coronation day – including alleged affray, public nuisance and breach-of-the-peace offences.
Senior Tory MP Lee Anderson, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, commented on dozens of arrests of protesters throughout the King’s coronation day. The Metropolitan Police have faced criticism after more than 50 people were arrested for alleged affray, public nuisance and breach-of-the-peace offences, a move described by human rights organisations as “a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation”.
But Mr Anderson appeared to side with the police, especially against protesters who were holding up signs reading Not My King near Buckingham Palace.
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Mr Anderson, the Conservative MP for Ashfield tweeted on Saturday: "Not My King? If you do not wish to live in a country that has a monarchy the solution is not to turn up with your silly boards. The solution is to emigrate."
Critics on social media condemned his “anti-democratic” remarks and pointed out the right to protest peacefully, while others expressed support for his opinion.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman later praised the police. She tweeted: “I’m incredibly grateful to the police for all their hard work at today’s Coronation celebration to ensure it was safe & passed without incident.”
But Labour’s Jess Phillips, who is a shadow home office minister, wrote: “Our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view.”
Labour former minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “Freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.”
The chief executive of an anti-monarchy group who was among 52 people arrested on the day of the King’s coronation has been released after nearly 16 hours in police custody.
Graham Smith was released by the Met Police around 11pm on Saturday, while the majority of his Republic colleagues continued to be held.
Posting to Twitter, Mr Smith said there was “no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK”.
“I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name.”
The Metropolitan Police 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, saying: “Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation.”
Also arrested on Saturday were members of Just Stop Oil and Labour for a Republic. The Met said it received information that protesters were “determined to disrupt” the coronation – including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements.
But campaigners said the protests were “peaceful”, describing the arrests as “a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation”.
The force confirmed reports from Just Stop Oil that 13 demonstrators were detained on the Mall and six public nuisance arrests on St Martin’s Lane following protests from Republic.
Three people were also apprehended in Soho, three at Wellington Arch and five on Whitehall on conspiracy to cause public nuisance, with another in Whitehall arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment.
The Met said a further 14 people were detained in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
Footage from the Mall showed the Just Stop Oil protesters being handcuffed and taken away by a heavy police presence.
Animal Rising said a number of its supporters were apprehended on Saturday while at a training session “miles away from the coronation ”.
Nathan McGovern, spokesman for the campaign group, described the arrests as “nothing short of a totalitarian crackdown on free speech and all forms of dissent”.
Human Rights Watch labelled the arrests “incredibly alarming”, adding: “This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London.”
Amnesty International’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh also raised concerns after police were reportedly given instructions to apprehend people with megaphones.
Separately, Westminster Council cabinet member for communities and public protection Aicha Less said she was “deeply concerned” over reports of arrests of members of its Night Star volunteer team, who assist vulnerable people on the streets late at night.
“We are working with the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened, and in the meantime, we are in touch with our volunteers to ensure they are receiving the support they need,” she said.
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