Are the police arrests of anti-monarchists an "outrageous assault on democracy?"

 

We think it's only in Putin's despotic Russia that people displaying blank pieces of paper as a protest, can get arrested. But if you think that, then think again. It's happening in 'Carolean' democratic Britain.

A man in Parliament Square was recently told by police that a blank piece of paper he was carrying might "offend someone" and that if he wrote, "Not My King" on it, he risked being arrested. Last Sunday, a woman was arrested in Edinburgh, for displaying a sign which stated: " f... imperialism, abolish monarchy." On the same day, the police arrested a 45-year old man in Oxford, for shouting "Who elected him?" during a county proclamation ceremony to King Charles III, in Oxford. Thames Valley Police called this 'disorderly behaviour'. Although Scotland Yard say that people have an absolute right to protest against the monarchy, a number of people have been arrested by the police for expressing Republican or anti-monarchist sympathies.

Article 10, of the Human Rights Act 1998, guarantees the right to freedom of expression. The Act says: "This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers." So why do the police regularly trample on peoples right to freedom of expression under Article 10? Article 10, is not an absolute right but a qualified right, which may be limited under certain circumstances such as to protect national security or to protect the rights of others.

However, in the past few days, during the late Queen's funeral procession, and the proclamation events announcing the reign of King Charles III, people have been arrested under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 or for causing a breach of the peace. Section 5, makes it an offence to "display any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress." You're also guilty of an offence under Section 5, if you use - "threatening or abusive words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour."

Yesterday, a young man was arrested for a breach of the peace, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, after allegedly shouting at Prince Andrew that he was a "sick old man." I should imagine that there might quite a lot of people in Britain who would readily concur with that view. Symon Hill, who was arrested in Oxford last Sunday, said his arrest was an "outrageous assault on democracy" and that he'd been arrested by the police for simply "expressing an opinion in public." He told the press: "I don't think I've ever seen anyone arrested on such threadbare grounds, let alone experienced it myself."