Police will have to make “difficult choices” while handling protests during the Coronation, a minister has said, following criticism of the arrests.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer told the BBC on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the police were right because of the scale and global nature of the event.
MPs, human rights groups and a former chief constable criticized the police after 52 arrests were made in London.
The Metropolitan Police said it acted in a “proportionate manner”.
Among those held last Saturday was the head of the anti-monarchy group Republic, Graham Smith. He was released after 16 hours in custody and said “there is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK”.
The Met said it had received intelligence protesters were planning to use burglar alarms to disrupt coronation proceedings.
Ms Frazer said the right to protest was “really important” and people needed to be heard but there had been a recent change in protesters’ tactics.
Protesters are stopping people from going about their daily lives, he said, and a balance needs to be restored. “People have the right to live their daily lives,” he added.
Officials may make operational decisions on a case-by-case basis, he said, taking into account the scale of the Coronation celebrations.
“We are on the global stage, there are 200 foreign dignitaries in the UK, in London at an event, millions of people are watching and hundreds of thousands of people are on the scene,” he added.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC he had assured the Met it was aware of a gap in public confidence in policing and the force had “explained and justified” why they did what they did. some arrests.
He said Labor would “wait and see” whether the force got the balance right, adding “accountability” to policing decisions was essential.
Mr Streeting said if they didn’t get it right, it was important to “put your hands up”.
Commander Karen Findlay defended her officers’ response, saying they had a duty to intervene “if the protest becomes criminal and could cause serious disruption”.
He added that the Coronation is a “once-in-a-generation event” which is an important consideration in their 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 organized in Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh. No arrests were reported outside London.
Scotland Yard said those arrested were being held on suspicion of rioting, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause public disturbance around the Coronation.
While campaigners insisted their protests were peaceful, police said they had intelligence that the groups were “determined to disrupt” the event.
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey said he was not sure of the exact circumstances of the arrest, and called for more details from the police.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, he criticized the government for “passing legislation to prevent protest that violates British traditions of civil liberties”. The Conservative Party has “a lot to answer for”, he added.
Many Labor MPs were also critical of the Met’s response. Senior backbencher Sir Chris Bryant said on Twitter that “freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy”.
Shadow minister Jess Philips also took to social media to say that “our country and our King are not too weak to be able to harmlessly protest another point of view”.
In a statement on Sunday, Republic chief Mr Smith said the arrests had “destroyed any trust that may have existed between peaceful protesters and the Metropolitan police”.
“What is the point of the police being open and frank, working with their liaison officers and meeting with senior commanders, if all their promises and undertakings turn out to be lies?”
Mr Smith was arrested early on Saturday – before the start of the Coronation – at a protest in Trafalgar Square.
Footage from the day showed several protesters wearing “Not My King” T-shirts being detained, including Mr Smith.
The Met said it had confiscated “lock-on devices” that protesters could use to secure themselves to things like railings.
But Matt Turnbull, another Republican member arrested, said the straps were used to hold placards and were “misunderstood” as a lock-on device.
A former police chief said he was “very disappointed” by the arrests of protesters and strongly criticized the new powers.
Sue Sim, a former chief constable at Northumbria Police and a specialist in public order policing, said she was “very disappointed” at the arrests of protesters and called the new powers “draconian”.
“I think when you talk about terrorism, where people’s lives are at risk that is a very different thing. a totalitarian police state,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World This Weekend.
Concerns about Coronation’s police approach were also raised by Westminster City Council’s cabinet member for communities and public protection over reports that volunteers with its Night Star women’s safety program were detained and asked after being stopped by officers while giving rape alarms.
Councilor Aicha Less said the authority was working with the Met to establish what happened and was contacting volunteers to ensure they were supported.
The Met said it had received intelligence about plans to use burglar alarms to disrupt the Coronation procession by scaring military horses, posing a “significant risk to the safety of the public and riders”.
The force said three people were arrested in the Soho area of London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.
A man was also further arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The three have been released.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said the force “is aware and understands that there is public concern over these arrests” adding that the matter is still under investigation.