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.

I was walking home through Westminster last night, among the crowds a twat with a speaker system banging on about the love of god and apparently he even loves queers and homosexuals despite their sins - constantly homophobic. I asked some of the many police standing around why he was allowed to continue with the endless hate speech, no sensible response 🙄
He was allowed to continue with the offensive ranting.

@pointythings Mental gymnastics captures it.

We should probably give up arguing with anyone who want to remove an important legal right from others in order to defend a totally imaginary right to be out in public without anyone else behaving in a way they personally disapprove of.

Lionel Ritchie is Chair of the Global Ambassador Group for The Prince's Trust. He is also performing in the concert.

@m00rfarm will they arrest those hysterically waving union jacks and shouting god save the king

Lionel Ritchie has been invited as they were desperate to find any pop stars who would agree to perform at the concert.

This is the ironic thing.

To paraphrase Obi Wan Kenobi, "If you strike me down, I will be more powerful than you can ever imagine"

Police do nothing when the (hypocritical) just stop oil protestors create mayhem for ordinary people trying to get to work, trying to get to see loved ones in hospitals, funerals, children to school etc but manage to today? Funny that.

Probably not, because that is the whole point of this event. But maybe address your remarks to the Chief Constable. I am not in a position to give you an answer - only give an opinion.

This is allowed. Saying anything against the royal family is not

I wonder how Russia will report this?

The actions of the police are an absolute disgrace. We appear now to live in a country where innocent citizens can be bundled away by the thuggish met police for not fawning to the royal parasites.

That’s enough now, I’m signing up to join Republic and I expect thousands more will join up too having been disgusted by this authoritarian and horribly extravagant display today.

The arrests are being widely reported abroad

Well here's hoping that next time it's you, or your partner / parents / children that are the one's the police decide to arrest because you / they look like they "might possibly want to do something wrong".

I wonder if you'll still think it's great when you / they are being carted off to the cells for the night and have an arrest on your / their record?

On the day of the coronation, on the route, with so many high profile figures around and the eyes of the world watching?
Err, yeah.

I am going to join republic now as well. I am not really a joiner, but this is ridiculous

@Flavabobble just like North Korea does

God forbid we should be allowed to show dissent and that the Monarchy is not universally popular in the UK

Absolutely disgusting. What has the country come to? People should be allowed to peacefully protest in a democracy.

At the moment, you can't trust people to protest peacefully. If you could just rely on people to wave banners etc I would agree, but due to the high risk of things being thrown/idiots glueing themselves to things to cause the most amount of disruption that they can/people getting aggressive etc I don't blame the police for not wanting protestors near the coronation.

Tweet from the Met

The Metropolitan Police tweeted: "Earlier today we arrested four people in the area of St Martin’s Lane. They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance."
A further three people were arrested "on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage," the force added. And "a number of arrests" have been made of people suspected of breaching the peace.

They really should have left them there, if they were not a danger to anyone or not in danger themselves.

It would have been a good image to see how few of them there are protesting the coronation vs the hundreds of thousands there supporting it.

How many are protesting against the coronation? less than 100, 200?.

They are dusruptive. A friend of mine was outside an event, looking forward to seeing the King and then a group started shouting over tannoys. They couldn't even hear what each other were saying. It isn't fair to disrupt other people's enjoyment.

The whole coronation is a public nuisance.

Katy Perry has arrived in a massive hat. Maybe she should be arrested for blocking the view of others.

Andrew has also arrived at BP. All those royalists out there pleased he is being allowed quietly back into public life?

Were they peaceful, though?