London’s Metropolitan Police faced backlash over the weekend for their arrests of anti-monarchy protesters during the coronation of King Charles III on 6th May, 2023. The police made a total of 52 arrests on Saturday as thousands of people gathered in central London to celebrate the once-in-a-generation occasion.

The event also drew demonstrators, with protesters wearing yellow T-shirts shouting “Not My King” throughout the morning. Republic, Britain’s largest anti-monarchy group, said that police arrested the organizers of the anti-monarchy protest without providing any reason.

At around 7 a.m., police stopped six of Republic’s organizers and told them they were detaining and searching them, according to Republic director Harry Stratton. Graham Smith, the chief executive of Republic, was among those detained.

When the organizers asked police why they were being detained, they were told officers “would figure it out” after they had searched the anti-monarchy protesters. After searching them, police told the six organizers they were arresting them and seizing hundreds of their placards carrying the slogan “Not My King.”

“They didn’t say why they were arresting them. They didn’t tell them or us where they were taking them. It really is like something out of a police state,” Stratton said.

Members of environmental activist group Just Stop Oil also appeared to have been arrested on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, with a large group of protesters seen in handcuffs.

The police’s actions have been widely criticized, with many accusing them of violating the right to peaceful protest. @AERMorg posted on Twitter Saturday, commenting: “So much for the right to peaceful protest.” as police arrested protestors on Martin's Lane, London.