Oxford proclamation: Man arrested and de-arrested after King comment

A man was arrested and de-arrested by police after he made anti-monarchist comments at a proclamation ceremony for King Charles III.

Symon Hill said he was told to "shut up" by some in the crowd after he asked "who elected him?" in Oxford on Sunday.

He said officers "took hold" of him, handcuffed him and put him in a police van before driving him home.

Police said Mr Hill was voluntarily helping officers as they investigated a potential public order offence.

Mr Hill, from Oxford, was leaving a service at New Road Baptist Church in Bonn Square when he got caught up in crowds for the ceremony.

He said he was "sad and angry" at seeing "dignitaries and military leaders standing on the steps of Carfax Tower in clothing more suited to the 16th Century".

He claimed police officers "refused" to talk to him about how he could cross a road after he expressed "mild criticism" about the procession.

Mr Hill said he realised the proclamation was about to be read and "remained quiet" during the first part of the ceremony, concerning the death of the Queen.

But he said he called out when King Charles III was declared the new monarch as he felt "a head of state was being imposed on us without our consent".

Afterwards he said he was led away by officers, arrested and handcuffed before being put into the back of a police van, in an article on the Bright Green website.

"After lots of conversations on [an officer's] radio he said I would be de-arrested but that they would want to interview me. I said I would do so only with a lawyer present," Mr Hill said.

"After some more radio conversations he told me I would be de-arrested and then contacted to be interviewed at a later date, and possibly charged."

He said he was driven home in the van and later told he had been arrested under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "A 45-year-old man was arrested in connection with a disturbance that was caused during the county proclamation ceremony of King Charles III in Oxford.

"He has subsequently been de-arrested and is engaging with us voluntarily as we investigate a public order offence."

They said he was held on suspicion of a public order offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act.

To be guilty of that he would need to be found to have used "threatening (or abusive) words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour" or "displayed any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening (or abusive)".

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