Green Party brands Met Police arrests ‘worrying’
A Green Party politician has branded arrests made by officers during the King’s Coronation “worrying”.
Dozens of people were arrested during the Coronation on Saturday, including the leader of a prominent anti-monarchy group.
Caroline Russell, who chairs the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it’s really worrying that these arrests have happened.
“It felt like for someone who was trying to protest, and trying to do it by the book, it was very difficult to understand what the rules were.
“It seems absolutely extraordinary that those people who were volunteering, they were out there handing out flip flops to people who could no longer walk in their high heels because they’d had a bit too much to drink and handing out rape alarms. It just seems extraordinary that they got caught up in the Met’s safety net. How? It just feels very odd.”
She added: “The Police and Crime Committee, we question the mayor, Mopac (Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) and the Metropolitan Police, we meet every fortnight, so of course we will be questioning this because I’m sure members of all parties will want to have their questions answered.”
Londoners to join Big Help Out
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Coronation of King Charles III.
Thousands of Londoners will join The Big Help Out on Monday to create a volunteering legacy from the Coronation weekend.
Organisers hope the day of volunteering on the special bank holiday will inspire the public to help out in their communities throughout the summer.
Buckingham Palace said the day “will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas”.
On Sunday night, the Prince of Wales paid a touching public tribute to his father at the coronation concert, saying: “Pa, we are all so proud of you.”
William took to the stage at Windsor Castle as part of a night of celebrations featuring perfomances from stars including Katy Perry and Take That.
