Police have been forced to apologise to a royal fan after arresting and detaining her for 13 hours for standing near a group of Just Stop Oil protesters at King Charles’s coronation.
Alice Chambers, an Australian architect based in London, was waiting on the Mall in central London to see the king pass by on his way to Westminster Abbey when she was handcuffed by police officers.
In scenes filmed by Sky News, Chambers was told she was being arrested on suspicion of “potential to cause a breach of peace”. According to Chambers, she did not know who the protesters were at the time.
Speaking to Sky News, Chambers said: “There was a big commotion as several police officers swooped in and started arresting Just Stop Oil protesters before they could begin protesting.
“Before I could get up, two police officers came over and grabbed me, before taking me away in handcuffs.
“When I was arrested I repeatedly tried to explain to the police I had no affiliation with the protesters. I provided my personal details, but was still detained for 13 hours.”
Chambers said she was released with no further action only after being interviewed, when police realised she was just a bystander. She said officers then apologised to her for the misunderstanding.
She has called for an investigation into police behaviour on coronation day, adding: “It’s just been so shocking, and very emotional. It’s not something you ever expect, to find yourself in a jail cell for a period of time.
“Really you would think that this should never happen. Clearly there are processes that need to be put in place, or that weren’t followed. No one should endure an extended period under arrest just because they’re an innocent bystander.”
A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: “We are aware that a woman was arrested in relation to a protest on 6 May. The arresting officer was from Lincolnshire police and the complaint has therefore been passed to the relevant force to investigate.”
Ch Insp Simon Outen, from the professional standards department at Lincolnshire police, said: “We have now received a complaint and we are reviewing the incident, and we are in contact with the complainant to establish the full details of her allegations.
“The Met will assist by providing any relevant information they require.”
On Monday, the Met expressed “regret” that six demonstrators from the Republic campaign group were arrested on coronation day, announcing that no charges would be brought against them.
In a statement, the Met confirmed 64 arrests were made on Saturday: “52 of these related to concerns people were going to disrupt the event, and arrests included to prevent a breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance”. The arrests have been criticised by commentators and MPs.
Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said the prime minister remains “grateful” to police for their handling of the king’s coronation despite the backlash over Chambers.
Asked whether Sunak still stands by his earlier gratitude, despite criticism over her detention, the spokesperson said: “Yes. As the prime minister said, it was an enormous policing effort to keep the public safe and do everything they did.”
