Arrested for holding a banner - can't ruin a big day, can we...

[cakeorwine]

'Not My King' protesters unfurl flags and shout anti-monarchy slogans on Coronation route | Daily Mail Online

Looks like the police are taking full advantage of their new powers.

You only had to look at the covid threads a few years ago, people wanted people arrested for sitting on a bench and they were wanting Chinese style crackdowns, but worst thing is people on here get gas lightly as hell and pretend it never happened

Quite so - and even back then I mentioned what advocating such power could lead to (and predictably got called a murderer)

Excellent to see the police behaviour being reported worldwide though; it might not do much for the UK's image, but if that's what it takes to wake people up ...

If you voted Tory, or did not vote at the last general election, you are in part responsible for this. The law the Met Police used would not have been in place if a non-Tory government had been voted in at the last general election.

Or indeed if you voted Leave, as had there been a Remain vote, I cannot see that George Osborne would have introduced this.

Yes very bad faith by a few rogue Republic protesters who decided to bring illegal lock on devices and paint and then go outside the agreed on area for protest. They should have stuck to the agreement.

Interesting…… but they can’t move on forced birthers at hospitals?

@HadalyEve we have only the Met's word that there were lock on devices. I'm inclined not to put a great deal of stock in anything the Met says. We'll see what comes out afterwards, and I think the police could have major egg on their faces.

They can

I don’t think a news outlet run by the most powerful Republic in the world would have reported in print the paint and lock on devices if it were not true.

You've still complained even if he doesn't acknowledge it.

They should’ve all worn Diana masks.

So you reckon it's easy to emigrate to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand? Sweet Jesus.

I agree with pointythings, I am not inclined to take the Met's word for it.
And on the new powers around things like bike locks: having laws around things that 'could be' intended for nefarious use is unclear but vaguely threatening. One potential result is that people who are not sure what they might get arrested for may stop exercising their right to peaceful protest just in case. Which is insidious and sinister.

Bless your heart

Don't you think they have a right to their opinions?

The Tories have criminalised protest - if the police suspect you of wanting to cause disruption, they can arrest you before you even go somewhere.

That's not a good thing.

Of course they have a right to their opinions. I didn't say they didn't

It is very Bingoish though - President Johnson

It's very worrying, for everyone.

Clearly they are the officially approved non arrestable ones.
I'd best not leave the house today with mine. I might get arrested or set upon by outraged royalists apparently. Or scare the horses.

As it happened though they have had grounds for their suspicions as in carrying lock on devices or carrying paint. And it wasn’t before they “even go anywhere” they arrested them along the Coronation route.

That’s not unusual. If you were carrying a knife, the police aren’t going to go oh we can’t do anything because you haven’t stabbed anyone yet, we only suspect you might be because you have a knife.

But carrying a knife is a criminal offence so not the gotcha you think.

I didn’t say it was easy, I just disagreed that Brexit has made it “extremely difficult” to emigrate because Brexit didn’t affect emigration to/immigration from nonEU countries at all. Not one bit. And those are where the majority of English speaking nations are and where most Brits go.

So is carrying those items to a protest under the new law.

If you think the anti monarchy side have a right to free speech then so do the pro monarchy side. I'm in the middle and don't really understand either side so don't know if I'm entitled to speak or not.

So you’ll stick to your opinion and dismiss any evidence to the contrary?

Well as it's been extremely difficult to go to those countries before Brexit and hasn't got any easier. It was really easy to go to the EU and now isn't. So please explain how the majority of people can just decide to leave this country if they disagree with a particular government policy. Please illustrate with examples of countries it would be easy for an averagely wealthy 64yo with no family ties to emigrate to. I might just act on any good suggestions.

As it happened though they have had grounds for their suspicions as in carrying lock on devices or carrying paint. And it wasn’t before they “even go anywhere” they arrested them along the Coronation route

Do you actually know the new law?

Public Order Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)

A person commits an offence if they have an object with them in a place other than a dwelling with the intention that it may be used in the course of or in connection with the commission by any person of an offence under section 1(1) (offence of locking on).

(2)A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine.

(3)In this section “dwelling” has the same meaning as in section 1.

So carrying a bike lock could be an offence

Powers to stop and search without suspicion(1)This section applies if a police officer of or above the rank of inspector reasonably believes—

(a)that any of the following offences may be committed in any locality within the officer’s police area—

(i)an offence under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 (wilful obstruction) involving activity which causes or is capable of causing serious disruption to two or more individuals or to an organisation;

(ii)an offence under section 78 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance);

(iii)an offence under section 1 (offence of locking on);

(iv)an offence under section 3 (offence of causing serious disruption by tunnelling);

(v)an offence under section 4 (offence of causing serious disruption by being present in a tunnel);

(vi)an offence under section 6 (obstruction etc of major transport works);

(vii)an offence under section 7 (interference with use or operation of key national infrastructure), or

(b)that persons are carrying prohibited objects in any locality within the officer’s police area.

(2)In this section “prohibited object” means an object which—

(a)is made or adapted for use in the course of or in connection with an offence within subsection (1)(a), or

(b)is intended by the person having it with them for such use by them or by some other person,
and for the purposes of this section a person carries a prohibited object if they have it in their possession

So they can stop and search without suspicion, just as long as they reasonably believe they might cause an offence