London police ‘regret’ arresting anti-monarchy protesters during coronation

London’s Metropolitan Police force has expressed regret over the arrest of antimonarchy protesters during Saturday’s coronation ceremony of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Officers arrested 52 people on Saturday “related to concerns people were going to disrupt the event,” the Met said in a statement. Among those detained were six members of an antimonarchy group called Republic, including its chief executive officer, Graham Smith. They were stopped by police while unloading signs from a van near Trafalgar Square early Saturday morning.

In a statement released Monday night, the Met said officers searched the vehicle and found items that they believed could have been used to lock protesters to barriers or other objects. However, after examining the seized items and reviewing the circumstances of the arrests, the Met said no further action would be taken against the protesters. “We regret that those six people arrested were unable to join the wider group of protesters in Trafalgar Square and elsewhere on the procession route,” the statement said.

The arrests have raised questions about a new law that was passed by Parliament just days before the coronation which gives police broader powers to detain protesters. Under the legislation, called the Public Order Act, anyone carrying a lock-on device during a demonstration can be arrested and charged. Critics argue the law is vague and that almost anything including a bicycle lock could be considered a lock-on device.

The six Republic protesters were detained because of luggage straps they’d used to hold the signs together. The Met has now confirmed that its investigation had “been unable to prove intent to use them to lock on and disrupt the event.”

Mr. Smith, who was held for 16 hours, said that on Monday, three police officers came to his home to return his cellphone and the straps. The officers also apologized, he added.

“I made it clear the apology is not accepted as we will be taking further action,” Mr. Smith wrote in a tweet Tuesday. “This has been a disgraceful episode and we will be speaking to lawyers about taking legal action. I also expect a full inquiry into why they repeatedly lied to us and who authorized the arrests.”

Mr. Smith said he had been in contact with police for four months about Republic’s plans for the coronation. He said the group explained “exactly what we’re going to do, where we’re going to be.” He added that up until last Friday, the police expressed no concern.

In its statement, the Met said officers at the scene didn’t know about Mr. Smith’s earlier contact. “It was not clear at the time that at least one of the group stopped had been engaging with police Protest Liaison Team officers ahead of the event,” the statement said.

Met officers have also come under criticism for arresting three volunteers from the London borough of Westminster’s Night Stars program, which helps vulnerable women. The volunteers were detained because they were carrying rape alarms which officers thought could be used to disrupt the coronation. However, city officials said Night Stars distributes the alarms as part of its outreach program.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was concerned about the tactics used by police during the ceremony which drew tens of thousands of people to The Mall and streets around Westminster Abbey on Saturday. “Some of the arrests made by police as part of the coronation event raise questions and, while investigations are ongoing, I’ve sought urgent clarity from Met leaders on the action taken,” he said over the weekend.

Senior Conservative MP David Davis, who voted against the Public Order Act, said the law needed to be scrutinized by Parliament to ensure it was implemented fairly. “There’s too many elements of the law that are too crude and too broadly defined,” he told the BBC on Tuesday. “No one wants a day ruined, but the right to put up placards is virtually absolute in British democracy.”

The chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, Ken Marsh, has defended the actions of the police. He said officers had prevented several potential disruptions, including attempts by protesters to deface monuments and breach barriers.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also backed how the police handled the ceremony. “The police are operationally independent of government, they’ll make these decisions based on what they think is best,” he said over the weekend. “Actually, I’m grateful to the police and everyone who played a part in ensuring that this weekend has gone so well, so successfully and so safely.”