2023-05-09
Is it lawful to mount a peaceful protest at the Coronation against the monarchy?
After all, free speech is still at least nominally permitted, even if not exactly encouraged.
Yet on Saturday, the plod confiscated banners and detained suspects before any protest had even commenced, reportedly despite the protest being previously cleared with the police.
"Today the BBC reports that the police have apologised personally to Graham Smith. He has not accepted their apology"
Nor should he.
The police have form in the area of detaining people with the effect (intended or otherwise) of preventing perfectly lawful activity, only to release them without charge once the opportunity for such activity has passed.
Does that not amount to unlawful imprisonment? Maybe harassment? In this case it's certainly prima facie bad faith.
Even if it is deemed technically not unlawful, one can forgive those who think that it is, and it does the reputation of the police no favours.
Laura Dodsworth makes the case very eloquently.
