British police arrested a man Friday night after what they called a “riot” at the Palace of Westminster Hall, in the Parliament building, where Queen Elizabeth II’s body lies in a burning room.
Parliamentary authorities explained this Saturday that: a man left the line, where thousands of people wait to see Queen Elizabeth II’s urn, and tried to approach the urn on the platform.
The city’s police said the man was being held on suspicion of public order violations.
Since 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, tens of thousands of people have continuously passed both sides of the monarch’s urn at the Palace of Westminster, which is open 24 hours a day.
The urn with the body of the monarch is draped in the royal standard and with the Imperial state crown, sphere and scepter atop a raised platform known as a catafalque.
Monday, the day of the state funeral, the hall is open until 6:30 am.
On Friday, authorities temporarily stopped allowing more visitors to the end of the line, which winds around Southwark Park, about five miles from Parliament. Thousands of people waited hours for a final tribute, including former footballer David Beckham.
At night, volunteers handed out blankets and cups of tea to people in line as temperatures dropped to 6 degrees Celsius.
Members of the public continued to enter Westminster Hall in silence, even as the Queen’s four children – King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – stood watch around the flag-draped coffin for 15 minutes on Friday night.
Source: DN
