The British Government considered this Tuesday that the London police acted correctly by arresting dozens of people to prevent the coronation of King Charles III from being disturbed on Saturday, despite criticism of the actions of the authorities.
“The police have rightly focused on ensuring that this important moment passes safely and without major disruption, which has been successful,” Home Secretary Chris Philp told the British Parliament.
According to the official, “specific threats of information about multiple well-organized plans to disrupt” the event were at stake.
Also this Tuesday, the commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, regretted that at least six anti-monarchist protesters have been prevented from participating in a protest organized by the Republic organization, including the director, Graham Smith.
“I want to be absolutely clear: our activity was directed at those we believed were intent on causing serious disturbances and criminality. Serious and reliable information told us that the risks were very real, ”he explained, in a text published in the Evening Standard. newspaper.
Police detained 64 people on Saturday, 52 of whom were related to concerns they might disrupt the event, prompting police to invoke the prevention of a public nuisance and conspiracy to cause a public disturbance.
The Public Order Act, which came into force last week in the UK, introduced in response to civil disobedience actions by environmental groups, allows police to search protesters and imposes penalties of up to 12 months in prison for protesters blocking roads or interfering with “national infrastructure”.
Police said the anti-monarchist activists had objects that could be used to block the road, but the Republica association denied that any intention to cause disorder had been proven.
The director of the Republic organization revealed that three high-ranking policemen went to his home to personally apologize for the 16-hour detention, but Graham Smith said that he did not accept the request and that he intends to “take action.”
The director of the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch in the United Kingdom, Yasmine Ahmed, considered the action of the police alarming, stressing that “this is something that one would expect to see in Moscow and not in London.”
Carlos III and Camila were crowned kings of the United Kingdom this Saturday, during a ceremony in Westminster Abbey, in London, which was accompanied by thousands of people through the streets.
Source: TSF
