After an anti-royalist demonstrator was arrested and prosecuted, former minister David Davis wrote to the police pleading with them to “continue to protect free expression.”
In Edinburgh on Sunday, a 22-year-old woman was detained after putting up an anti-monarchy poster; she was later prosecuted “in connection with a break of the pace.”
The audience that had gathered to see King Charles being legally declared king could be seen holding the placard that said, “F**k Imperialism, Abolish Monarchy.”
Announcing his “alarm” in writing to the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, Mr. Davis posted on Twitter yesterday night.
I speak as a passionate monarchist, but I hope that people will continue to be able to express their thoughts and demonstrate in support of causes they care deeply about, he said in his letter.
The former Tory candidate for leadership also noted that since he had written his letter, a second individual had been arrested and prosecuted.
A 22-year-old man was charged with disturbing the peace when a bystander jeered the Duke of York as they gravely marched behind his mother’s coffin in Edinburgh on Monday, along with a distraught King Charles and their brothers.
Another protester who was outside the Palace of Westminster displayed her disapproval of the new king by holding up a sign that said, “Abolish the Monarchy” and “Not my King.”
It is not for me to meddle in the legal process, Mr. Davis stated in a letter to Chief Constable Sir Ian Livingstone.
However, I would hope that the police would continue to respect the right of free expression in light of the coronation of our new queen.
“Action was plainly required if the subject of the inquiry had engaged in acts of violence or if the police had grounds to suspect she would.”
But if the person had just been expressing an opinion, I’m sure you’d agree that a liberal strategy would be preferable.
“I speak as a passionate monarchist, but I hope that members of the public will continue to have the freedom to express their views and demonstrate in support of causes they care deeply about.”
‘A 22-year-old lady was arrested outside St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Sunday, September 11, 2022 in connection with a breach of the peace,’ a Police Scotland spokesperson said on Monday in announcing the woman had been charged.
She was charged and freed with the promise to show up in court at a later time in Edinburgh.
She held up her sign when Charles was officially declared king in Edinburgh by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who is in charge of regulating state rituals in Scotland.
Another protester demonstrated against the new king on Monday morning by holding up a sign that said “Abolish the Monarchy” and “Not my King” in front of the Palace of Westminster.
The lady was escorted away from the Parliamentary gates by Met Police officers as members of the House of Commons and House of Lords offered their sympathies to King Charles and the Queen Consort.
She was sporting a t-shirt with the Campaign To Abolish The Monarchy’s emblem on her, which had urged people to demonstrate against the new King in Parliament Square.
According to a Met spokeswoman, a member of the public was requested to leave the area outside the Carriage Gates outside the Palace of Westminster this morning so that vehicles could enter and exit the area more easily.
She wasn’t detained, and no one asked her to leave the area.
A guy was caught on camera yelling at Prince Andrew, humiliating him, as his mother’s funeral slowly rolled along the Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles’ Cathedral.
The heckler was then shown being pushed to the ground by incensed mourners as the throng continued to chant “God Save the King” in the footage.
While Charles was being declared King, a 45-year-old man in Oxford was detained on suspicion of “disorderly behaviour” after yelling “Who elected him?” Thames Valley Police said that he was released afterwards.
Above a picture of his letter, Mr. Davis wrote: “Last night, I wrote to the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, expressing my worry that an anti-monarchy demonstrator has been prosecuted by police. A second protester has been charged since I wrote to him.
“At this time of national grief, let’s all be careful to act with respect.” But we must not compromise the value of free expression, which is the cornerstone of contemporary Britain.
Although I am a fervent supporter of the monarchy, I believe that republicans have an equal right to express their views.