London police express ‘regret’ after arrest of anti-monarchy protesters

London police said Monday evening May 8 “to regret” that the six anti-monarchy protesters arrested on Saturday ahead of Charles III’s coronation celebrations were unable to demonstrate as they had planned and stressed that no charges would be brought against them.

Early Saturday morning, six members of the anti-monarchy group Republic, including their leader Graham Smith, were arrested in central London as they marched to Trafalagar Square to demonstrate at the King’s Pass. The police had also seized their placards. They were released late on Saturday, more than sixteen hours after their arrest, drawing heavy criticism.

The police suspected them of wanting to chain themselves on the public highway

In a press release on Monday evening, the London police justified themselves at length by explaining that they had arrested six people “suspected of being equipped to chain themselves”.

Under a law that came into force on Wednesday, criticized as far as the UN, British police can arrest people in possession of equipment likely to be used to chain themselves on public roads, a technique of protest and blocking regularly used by climate activists in the UK.

However, the London police added in their press release that “the investigation could not prove the intention to use [les objets saisis] to chain each other and disrupt the demonstration”.