London police arrest 52 people during Charles’s coronation

On the day of the coronation of King Charles III. police in London arrested a total of 52 people. This led to crimes such as bodily harm, violations of public order, disturbance of public order and “conspiracy to cause a nuisance”. “All of these individuals remain in custody,” the Metropolitan Police said on Saturday.

There was criticism of the arrest of several monarchy opponents of the Republic group. “We fully understand the public’s concern following the arrests we made this morning,” said Chief of Operations Karen Findlay. Protests are allowed and must be disruptive. But police must intervene if the demonstrations “become criminal and could cause serious disturbances,” Findlay said. “It depends on the context. The coronation is a generational event and that is an important aspect of our assessment.”

Interior Minister Suella Braverman thanked the police for their efforts. “It was a great procession and ceremony enjoyed by tens of thousands of people in London,” said the Conservative politician. “It was a great tribute to our country and our monarchy.” The government has recently tightened the right to demonstrate again. For example, police officers can ban protests if they expect them to disrupt public order.

In total, some 11,500 agents were deployed in the British capital. The cost of the security measures is estimated at 150 million pounds (170 million euros). (sda/dpa)