The director of the anti-monarchist group ‘Republic’, graham smithand other organizers of a protest against the Coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom They have been arrested this Saturday by the Police before the start of the event, according to what this organization has informed the media.
Smith had been collecting banners for protesters in Trafalgar Square when he was stopped by police, according to the newspaper. Guardian. ‘Republic’ seeks to replace the monarch with an elected head of state and today supports a protest under the slogan “NotMyKing” (not my king).
“They were picking up the banners and taking them away when the police stopped them,” said Harry Stratton, a member of Republic, who arrived when Smith and the others were detained.
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Several members of the organization were collecting the banners from a vehicle when they were detained.
“The guys asked why and they said: we’ll tell you that once we’ve searched the vehicle. That’s when they arrested six organizers. We asked them for what reason they had been arrested, but they did not answer. It is a surprise since we had had several meetings with the police. They had been making all the right noises,” Stratton added.
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The arrest occurred around 7:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) when hundreds of anti-monarchist protesters had gathered in Trafalgar Square with flags and yellow shirts to highlight their opposition to the monarch’s coronation.
The forces of order have carried out a strong security device, with more than 10,000 agents deployed on the streets from the British capital to ensure the event runs without incident.
The new security law in the United Kingdom, passed this week, makes it illegal to block any type of street furniture. Several protesters from the environmental organization Just Stop Oil were also reportedly detained in a shopping center, according to the BBC.
