Conservative MPs have condemned the use of new laws to hold anti-monarchy protesters for up to 16 hours during the coronation after the Metropolitan police admitted they had “regrets” following dozens of arrests.
The criticism came after Sadiq Khan demanded a review of policing on Saturday, while Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, declined to rip up the new public order bill under which six members of the protest group Republic were arrested.
New sections of the bill were rushed into law two days before the coronation and were used to arrest six demonstrators. However, all six have been released and the Met has expressed regret.
The former Home Office minister David Davis told the Commons that the home affairs select committee should be invited to review the laws. “Within one week of the public order bill entering the law and in its first serious use, we end up with the head of the Met having to apologise to people who are wrongfully arrested,” he said.
The former Conservative minister Desmond Swayne questioned why protesters were held for so long by the police, saying: “Wouldn’t the minister expect that misunderstanding to have been resolved well within the 16 hours for which the six were incarcerated, and surely there should be some questions asked about that?”
The Home Office minister Chris Philp said a complaints system is available, adding: “Exactly what happened is an operational matter for the police. Clearly on that day … the police had a lot going on in central London.”
Despite the expression of regret, the head of the Met defended the arrest of six anti-monarchy protesters. Writing for the Evening Standard, Mark Rowley said: “While it is unfortunate that the six people affected by this were unable to join the hundreds of peaceful protesters, I support the officers’ actions in this unique fast-moving operational context.”
In total 64 people were arrested over the weekend, of which 52 were over police concerns that the coronation could be disrupted.
Rowley said it was “frustrating” the force could not share more information about some of the arrests while investigations continue.
Khan has asked for further information about why the Met arrested Republic supporters and volunteers for the charity Night Star, which hands out rape alarms.
In a letter to Rowley, the mayor of London said: “Despite the welcome efforts of so many committed officers, it is clear that some of the arrests made have given rise to concerns and, in my oversight role as mayor, I am seeking assurance from you that the issues related to these will be subject to a review and lessons learned.”
In an interview with the BBC, Starmer accepted that Scotland Yard got some of their “judgments wrong” after the force expressed “regret” over preventing six Republic campaigners from protesting.
The Labour leader said it was “early days” for the Public Order Act, under which the group was detained for 16 hours before being released and told no charges would be brought. Rather than committing to repeal the legislation, Starmer suggested fresh guidance could make improvements amid concerns it was being used to clamp down on dissent.
“The police have obviously apologised in relation to some of those cases,” he said. “They’re a difficult judgment call, we all understand why action has to be taken in relation to Just Stop Oil and that sort of tactic but on our hand obviously we need to protect legitimate protests, so it’s a judgment call.
“They got some of those judgments wrong, as they have accepted, and I think that’s a learning experience for them, as we go forward we need to ensure there’s perhaps better guidance or something.”
Graham Smith, the Republic chief executive who is considering legal action against the Met over his arrest, has urged Labour to repeal the act.
Police said they suspected the straps being used to secure placards being carried by the group would be used to “lock on” to something to cause disruption, which is an offence which can be punished by imprisonment under the act.
But on Monday evening they personally apologised to Smith, handing back the straps and telling his group no charges will be taken because they could not “prove intent to use them to lock on and disrupt the event”.
