London mayor calls for ‘urgent clarity’ from Met over policing of coronation protests
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for “urgent clarity” from the Metropolitan Police over the force’s treatment of protesters during the coronation on Saturday.
A total of 64 people were arrested around the coronation – including 13 people to “prevent a breach of the peace”, and a man with an unused megaphone, who police said could “scare the horses”.
The Metropolitan Police said on Sunday night that four people had been charged – two for drug offences, one for disorderly conduct, and one charged with a religiously aggravated offence.
Of the others, one was arrested on a warrant for non-payment of fines and remains in police custody. The remaining people were either released on police bail or freed without further charge.
There have been reports volunteers who were handing out rape alarms to keep women safe in the early hours of Saturday morning were also taken into custody.
It is not clear whether these were part of the figures released by the police.
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Met Police commander Karen Findlay defended the force’s action during the coronation, saying they policed “proportionately” and within the “context” of the large-scale event.
But Mr Khan – who has oversight of the force as mayor – said some of the arrests “raise questions”, adding: “Whilst investigations are ongoing, I’ve sought urgent clarity from Met leaders on the action taken.”
Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic said a number of their team were arrested “as we prepared for a peaceful and lawful protest”, and they were “detained for the rest of the day”.
The group’s leader, Graham Smith – who was arrested himself – released a statement on Sunday saying: “These arrests are a direct attack on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every person in the country.
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Republic chief on coronation arrests
“The right to protest peacefully in the UK no longer exists. Instead we have a freedom to protest that is contingent on political decisions made by ministers and senior police officers.”
Westminster MPs have also questioned the police’s decisions on the day.
‘Tory legislation could be to blame’
Liberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday she had “concerns” the force did not get the balance right when it came to ensuring the event went ahead safely while allowing peaceful protest.
“Whether you are royalist or whether you are republican, we should all be able to agree on free speech and the right to protest,” she added.
Ms Cooper said new laws brought in by the Conservative government days ahead of the coronation, which give police more power to tackle disruptive protests, could be to blame.
The legislation carries up to a year in jail for demonstrators blocking roads, airports and railways, and lets officers stop and search anyone they suspect is planning to cause disruption.
The Lib Dem MP said the “far ranging, sweeping powers” would have “a real kind of chilling effect on the right to peaceful protest”.
While it was not yet clear if the measures were used by police on Saturday, it needed to be investigated, she added.
Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper
Met urged to provide ‘accountability’
Labour’s Wes Streeting also called for the force to provide “accountability” over the concerns that have been raised about its coronation operation.
The shadow health secretary told Sophy Ridge: “I think it’s the accountability that’s important.
“Where concerns have been raised, whether that’s by Republic, the campaign for an elected head of state, or people more generally just concerned about what they’ve read in the papers or seen on the telly, it’s important that the police provide that accountability.”
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Police ‘accountability’ is ‘important’
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said police had to “balance the right to protest, which is important in a democracy” with the right of other people “to enjoy what was a fabulous day”.
“Overall, they managed to get that balance right,” she added.
The minister also defended the new laws, saying she had “huge confidence” in the police and trusted them to use the new powers.
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‘I have huge confidence in the police’
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Her Tory colleague, deputy party chairman and MP Lee Anderson, went further, however.
In a tweet on Saturday, he attacked protesters going to the coronation, saying: “Not My King? If you do not wish to live in a country that has a monarchy the solution is not to turn up with your silly boards. The solution is to emigrate.”
Senior Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant later tweeted: “Freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.”
‘Proportionate’ policing
Met commander Findlay said the force “absolutely understands public concern following the arrests”.
But she said it was their “duty” to police protests “in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation”.
The senior officer also said context was important, adding: “The coronation is a once-in-a-generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment.”
And she insisted a protest “involving large numbers” went ahead “with police knowledge and no intervention”.
World
Ukraine war: 14 killed as Russian missile and drone attacks strike Kyiv – including American citizen
Russian missile and drone attacks have killed 14 people in Kyiv overnight, according to Ukrainian officials.
A 62-year-old US citizen who suffered shrapnel wounds is among the dead.
At least 99 others were wounded in strikes that hollowed out a residential building and destroyed dozens of apartments.
Pic: AP
Emergency workers were at the scene to rescue people from under the rubble.
Images show a firefighter was among those hurt, with injured residents evacuated from their homes.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as “one of the most terrifying attacks on Kyiv” – and said Russian forces had fired 440 drones and 32 missiles as civilians slept in their homes.
“[Putin] wants the war to go on,” he said. “It is troubling when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it.”
Pic: AP
Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said 27 locations across the capital have been hit – including educational institutions and critical infrastructure.
He claimed the attack, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, was one of the largest on the capital since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Drones swarmed over the city, with an air raid alert remaining in force for seven hours.
One person was killed and 17 others injured as a result of separate Russian drone strikes in the port city of Odesa.
Pic: Reuters
It comes as the G7 summit in Canada continues, which Ukraine’s leader is expected to attend.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to hold talks with Donald Trump – but the president has announced he is unexpectedly returning to Washington because of tensions in the Middle East.
Ukraine’s foreign minister says Moscow’s decision to attack Kyiv during the summit is a signal of disrespect to the US.
Moscow has launched a record number of drones and missiles in recent weeks, and says the attacks are in retaliation for a Ukrainian operation that targeted warplanes in airbases deep within Russian territory.
Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko says fires broke out in two of the city’s districts as a result of debris from drones shot down by the nation’s air defences.
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Pic: AP
On X, Ukraine’s foreign ministry wrote: “Russia’s campaign of terror against civilians continues. Its war against Ukraine escalates with increased brutality.
“The only way to stop Russia is tighter pressure – through sanctions, more defence support for Ukraine, and limiting Russia’s ability to keep sowing war.”
Olena Lapyshnak, who lived in one of the destroyed buildings, said: “It’s horrible, it’s scary, in one moment there is no life. I can only curse the Russians, that’s all I can say. They shouldn’t exist in this world.”
World
Israeli tank shelling kills 51 people waiting for aid in Khan Younis, Hamas-run health ministry says
Israeli tank shellfire has killed at least 51 Palestinians in Khan Younis, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
Hundreds of others have been injured, with “dozens of critical cases” arriving at a medical complex.
It is feared that the number of fatalities will rise.
Pic: Reuters
The strikes took place as people waited for United Nations and commercial aid trucks in the southern Gaza city.
Witnesses said that Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a nearby home before opening fire toward the crowd.
“Emergency, intensive care, and operating rooms are experiencing severe overcrowding,” a statement said.
Officials say medical staff “are operating with limited supplies of life-saving medicines” – with the ministry renewing an “urgent appeal” to increase aid.
Pic: Reuters
Hours earlier, Donald Trump had joined other G7 leaders to call for a “de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza”.
The Israeli military is yet to comment on this incident.
On Monday, Gaza’s health ministry said at least 34 people were shot dead near food distribution centres.
This was the highest reported daily total since Israel and US-backed aid centres opened last month, with thousands of Palestinians moving through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach them.
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