Met Police arrest anti-monarchy protesters

Met Police officers have arrested anti-monarchy protesters in central London ahead of the King's Coronation.

The leader of anti-monarchy group Republic has been arrested and the force said it had detained multiple people in the City of Westminster.

They are held on suspicion of breaching the peace, conspiracy to cause public nuisance and possessing articles to cause criminal damage, the force said.

Republic said hundreds of their placards had also been seized.

"A significant police operation is under way in central London," the force said on Twitter.

Footage on social media showed officers using their powers under the new Public Order Act.

Chief executive of anti-monarchy group Republic, Graham Smith, was among those apprehended in St Martin's Lane near Trafalgar Square.

Pictures showed protesters in yellow "Not My King" T-shirts, including Mr Smith, having their details taken.

In one video an officer said: "I'm not going to get into a conversation about that, they are under arrest, end of."

The Met confirmed that four people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance on St Martin's Lane and that lock-on devices were seized.

The force also said they made a number of breaching-the-peace arrests in the area of Carlton House Terrace and a further three arrests in the Wellington Arch area on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage.

Matt Turnbull, one of those arrested from Republic, said the straps holding the placards had been "misconstrued" as something that could be used for locking on.

New legislation passed this week means it is illegal to prepare to lock-on to things like street furniture.

Just Stop Oil said that a protester had been arrested in Piccadilly on their way to the Mall.

Footage from the scene also showed about 15 protesters being handcuffed and taken away by a heavy police presence.

On Wednesday the Met said that it would have an "extremely low threshold" for protests during the coronation celebrations, and that demonstrators could expect "swift action".

Republic activist Luke Whiting, 26, said: "Six Republic members have been arrested... It is unclear why, potentially it is because one of them was carrying a megaphone.

"It is unclear exactly whether the police are using these new powers and whether they are misusing them to stop protest happening."

Non-profit campaign group Human Rights Watch said the coronation arrests were "something you would expect to see in Moscow not London".

Its UK director Yasmine Ahmed said in a statement: "The reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly alarming.

"Peaceful protests allow individuals to hold those in power to account."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]