Police made tough calls on Coronation arrests, says minister

The police had to make "tough choices" while handling protests during the Coronation, a minister has said, following criticism over arrests.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the police were right to take into account the momentous nature of the occasion.

MPs and human rights groups have criticised the police after 52 people were arrested in London on Saturday.

Among those held was the head of the anti-monarchy group Republic.

Graham Smith, who was released on Saturday evening after 16 hours in custody, said there was "no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK".

Ms Frazer said the right to protest was "really important" and people should be heard but there had been a recent change in protesters' tactics.

Protesters have been stopping people going about their day-to-day lives, she said, and there was a need to redress that balance. "People have the right to live their day-to day life," she added.

Officers would have made operational decisions on a case-by-case basis and taken into account the context including having 200 foreign dignitaries in central London, she said.

Scotland Yard said it acted in a "proportionate manner".

Commander Karen Findlay defended her officers' response to protests during the day of the Coronation, saying they had a duty to intervene "when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption".

She added the Coronation was a "once-in-a-generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment".

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the rain in central London on Saturday, with chants including "down with the Crown", "don't talk to the police" and "get a real job".

Other protests were organised in Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh. No arrests were reported outside London.

Scotland Yard said those arrested had been held on suspicion of affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation.

While campaigners insisted their protests were peaceful the police said they had intelligence that groups were "determined to disrupt" the occasion.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey said he was not sure about the exact circumstances of the arrest, and called for more detail from the police.

Speaking to the BBC, he criticised the government for "passing legislation to clamp down on protest that breached British traditions of civil liberties". The Conservative Party has "a lot to answer for", he added.

Several Labour MPs criticised the Met's response, with senior backbencher Sir Chris Bryant writing on Twitter that "freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy".

Shadow minister Jess Philips also used social media to say that "our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view".

Labour MP Richard Burgon said he was ''deeply concerned" by the arrests, while MP Zarah Sultana said: "Whatever you think of the monarchy, the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to democracy."

Among those critical of the Met was the UK director of Human Rights Watch, Yasmine Ahmed, who likened its actions to "something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London".

Mr Smith confirmed he was released late on Saturday evening, adding that other members of Republic were still in custody.

Writing on Twitter he said there was "no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK".

"I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name."

Mr Smith was arrested early on Saturday - before the Coronation began - at a protest in Trafalgar Square.

Footage during the day showed several protesters wearing "Not My King" T-shirts being detained - including Mr Smith.

Republic also said hundreds of its placards had been seized by police.

The Met said it had confiscated "lock-on devices" - which protesters can use to secure themselves to things like railings.

But Matt Turnbull, another member of Republic who was arrested, said the straps being used to hold the placards had been "misconstrued" as lock-on devices.

Elsewhere on Saturday, climate activist group Just Stop Oil said about 13 protesters were arrested on The Mall in central London along with five others in Downing Street.

A Just Stop Oil spokeswoman said their plan was "only to display T-shirts and flags", adding: "This is a dystopian nightmare."

Concerns about the police's approach to the Coronation were also raised by Westminster City Council's cabinet member for communities and public protection over reports that volunteers with its Night Star programme had been arrested while handing out rape alarms.

Councillor Aicha Less said the authority was "working with the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened" and was "in touch with our volunteers to ensure they are receiving the support they need".