Is There No Longer a Right to Peaceful Protest in the UK?
Key Highlights :
In the wake of the arrests of 52 people on the day of the King’s coronation, the chief executive of an anti-monarchy group, Graham Smith, took to Twitter to express his concern that there is “no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK”. This statement has sparked a nationwide debate about the right to protest in the UK and the actions of the Metropolitan Police in the wake of the coronation.
The Metropolitan Police have been heavily criticised for their handling of the situation, with some campaign groups likening the “incredibly alarming” arrests to “something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London”. The Met Police confirmed that the 52 people were arrested for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation. Commander Karen Findlay defended Scotland Yard’s actions, saying: “Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation”.
Among those arrested were members of Just Stop Oil and Labour for a Republic. The Met said it received information that protesters were “determined to disrupt” the coronation – including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements. However, campaigners have argued that the protests were “peaceful” and that the arrests are a “dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation”.
Footage from the Mall showed the Just Stop Oil protesters being handcuffed and taken away by a heavy police presence. Animal Rising said a number of its supporters were apprehended on Saturday while at a training session “miles away from the coronation”. Nathan McGovern, spokesman for the campaign group, described the arrests as “nothing short of a totalitarian crackdown on free speech and all forms of dissent”.
Human Rights Watch labelled the arrests “incredibly alarming”, adding: “This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London.” Amnesty International’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh also raised concerns after police were reportedly given instructions to apprehend people with megaphones.
Westminster Council cabinet member for communities and public protection Aicha Less said she was “deeply concerned” over reports of arrests of members of its Night Star volunteer team, who assist vulnerable people on the streets late at night.
The question of whether or not there is still a right to peaceful protest in the UK remains a contentious issue. While the Met Police have defended their actions, many campaigners and human rights organisations have raised serious concerns about the arrests and their implications for the right to protest in the UK. Until the matter is resolved, it is likely that questions about the right to peaceful protest in the UK will continue to be raised.
