London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Covid: Arrests during anti-lockdown protests in London

Covid: Arrests during anti-lockdown protests in London

Thousands of people have attended anti-lockdown demonstrations in London, after MPs urged the government to allow peaceful protest during lockdown.

Crowds marched from Hyde Park to Westminster, with at least 33 arrests by police, mostly for Covid breaches.

Scotland Yard said the number of people attending Saturday's demonstrations exceeded expectations.

The Home Office said it was still illegal for people to attend protests under the current coronavirus rules.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor told the BBC more people than previously expected were at Saturday's protests, but the Met has not given a formal estimate of the number in attendance.

BBC correspondent Marianna Spring, reporting from the anti-lockdown protests, said the atmosphere was "animated" and a number of people appeared to be angry about restrictions on peaceful protest.

Later, in Hyde Park, police officers were forced to run back to their vans, as protesters threw bottles and cans at them.

PA Media reported that some members of the public then left the park, with small children carried by their parents.

Some protesters carried signs against the current lockdown restrictions
The march disrupted traffic on Park Lane, near Hyde Park

The anti-lockdown protests came after a vigil following the death of Sarah Everard in south London last week resulted in arrests, as police enforced Covid and public order laws.

Earlier, more than 60 MPs and peers wrote to the home secretary calling for laws to be changed to allow peaceful protests during lockdown.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey blamed the scenes at the Clapham event on a lack of clarity putting police "in an impossible position", adding that the right to protest was a "basic freedom".

At the scene

By Jon Donnison, news correspondent

Thousands of tightly-packed anti-lockdown protesters marched up Whitehall with some chanting "freedom" to the beat of a drum.

One man carried a placard bearing the words "no more NHS and Gov lies".

I have seen very few demonstrators wearing masks and there's no attempt at social distancing. So far the police - who are here in large numbers - have been taking a hands-off approach, though I have seen at least one arrest on Whitehall.

Among the crowd there are undoubtedly some conspiracy theorists, with some accusing the mainstream media of pushing fake news. But that is by no means everyone here.

One woman, who did not want to be named, told me she knew Covid was bad. "I had it myself last March," she said. "But this lockdown is too much."

The letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, organised by campaign groups Liberty and Big Brother Watch, urged her to issue guidance to police forces on "facilitating" protests.

The initial organisers of the Sarah Everard vigil effectively lost a High Court battle to hold it lawfully the day before, resulting in its cancellation.

But hundreds attended Clapham Common to gather around tributes left on a bandstand - the Met Police said the gathering became unlawful after people began delivering speeches to the crowd.

The event also increased interest in plans to give officers more precise powers to restrict demonstrations in a new sweeping Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill debated by MPs.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief scientific adviser, told MPs earlier this month that protests elsewhere had not resulted in a spike in infections and that outdoor gatherings were safer than indoors, though not risk free.

He said: "It is the case that it is difficult to see how things like large beach gatherings and so on can cause a spike. The same was the case in a protest march in New York; they did not really see any spikes after that.

"It is lower risk, but the other thing that can happen with outdoor events, and so on, is that, when indoor things are also open, you start to get people congregating indoors around that. That can increase risk, but outdoors itself is lower risk."


Thousands of people are taking part in the protests, police say several arrests have been made



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×