Members of anti-monarchy groups in Britain were released from detention Saturday hour after the coronation of King Charles, raising concern about a police sweep in central London to prevent problems, not respond to them.
The leader of the group Republic, 51-year-old Graham Smith, was among 52 arrested in central London as thousands of people gathering in the streets for King Charles’s coronation.
Police reportedly said their duty to prevent disruption outweighed the right to protest.
“There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK,” Smith tweeted after being released.