Metropolitan Police Commissioner Karen Findlay announced that the force intended to arrest Republic leader Graham Smith and group members for carrying "lock on" devices during a demonstration at the King's coronation on Saturday. This tactic was outlawed by the government just last week. Commander Smith stated that after months of discussions with the Met about how they would conduct their demonstration, Republic representatives had repeatedly lied about their intentions.
"They assured us that they had no concerns about their protest plans and that they would engage with us and not disrupt our operations," said Commander Smith.
Graham Smith, leader of an anti-monarchist group, was detained during the demonstration on Saturday and released later in the evening after nearly 16 hours in police custody. The group had engaged in discussions with Metropolitan Police for four months before taking to the streets. Mr. Smith insisted officers had no concerns about their plans whatsoever.
Several action groups raised alarm over these arrests on Saturday. Animal Rising accused police of enforcing a "totalitarian crackdown," while Human Rights criticized law enforcement for creating "scenes you'd expect to see in Russia, not the UK."
When asked if Republic was considering legal action against Met for unlawful arrest as a result of this situation, Mr. Graham Smith responded:
"We are currently exploring all options available to ensure justice is served and our rights are protected."