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A senior UK government minister has defended the actions of the Metropolitan Police during the anti-monarchy protests in London on Saturday, saying officers had to make “tough calls” during the coronation of King Charles III in a day which saw 52 arrests.
It comes after the much-maligned Metropolitan Police force faced criticism for what many said was a heavy-handed approach toward demonstrators. Several opposition lawmakers and human rights groups have condemned the police’s actions.
However, UK culture secretary Lucy Frazer said that, while the right to protest remains “really important” in a democracy, tactics by demonstrators have shifted in recent years to interrupt people going about their daily lives.
She told the BBC that officers had to make “tough calls” on a case-by-case basis, while taking into consideration the significance of the occasion on Saturday.
Frazer said the police were tasked with balancing people’s right to protest with overseeing an international event on the world stage.
Criticism of the Metropolitan Police, the UK’s largest force, comes amid growing concern over the increase in police powers to stifle dissent in Britain, following the recent introduction of controversial pieces of legislation.
