London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Dozens of protesters arrested during Coronation

Dozens of protesters arrested during Coronation

Dozens of people have been arrested during the King's Coronation, including the leader of a prominent anti-monarchy group.

London's Metropolitan Police said 52 arrests were made for a range of reasons, and all remain in custody.

The arrest of anti-monarchy protesters earlier in the day has been labelled "alarming" by human rights groups.

The Met said it "understands" public concern, but that officers had acted proportionally under the law.

"Protest is lawful and it can be disruptive," Commander Karen Findlay, leading the day's operation, said - pointing to numerous protests that had been policed without any arrests.

Officers, she said, have a duty to intervene "when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption".

"This depends on the context. The Coronation is a once in a generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment."

Accusations of heavy-handed enforcement began early on Saturday before the Coronation began, when the chief executive of anti-monarchist campaign group Republic, Graham Smith, was arrested at a protest in Trafalgar Square.

Footage showed protesters in "Not My King" t-shirts being detained, including Mr Smith. Republic said they were stopped by police while unloading signs near the procession.

The Met said "lock-on devices" - which protesters can use to secure themselves to things like railings - had been seized. Recent changes to the law, passed this week, make it illegal to prepare to lock-on.

But Republic said officers had "misconstrued" straps meant to secure their signs in place.


Police said the 52 arrests were made for offences including affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

A breakdown provided later revealed that 32 - or about 60% - were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

The Met did not specify how many arrests were of anti-monarchy protesters, but climate group Just Stop Oil said about 13 protesters were arrested on the Mall in London and five others in Downing Street.

A Just Stop Oil spokeswoman said their plan was "only to display T-shirts and flags", adding: "This is a dystopian nightmare."

Fellow environmental protesters Animal Rising said a number of their supporters were arrested at a training session "miles away from the coronation".

"The reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly alarming," said Human Rights Watch UK director Yasmine Ahmed.

"This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London."

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the rain in central London on Saturday, with chants including "down with the Crown", "don't talk to the police" and "get a real job".

Other protests were organised in Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh. No arrests were reported outside London.

Republic posted photos on Twitter of police officers taking details from those who were arrested.

"So much for the right to peaceful protest," the group said, adding the force would not give the reasons for their arrest.


During the Coronation ceremony, which was broadcast in Trafalgar Square over loud speakers, hundreds of protesters booed the declarations of "God Save the King".

Around 300 people gathered for a protest organised by Republic Cymru in Cardiff City Centre.

In Scotland, supporters of Scottish independence chanted anti-monarchy slogans on a march in Glasgow city centre, while a separate rally was held by the group Our Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
×