First arrests under the New Police Act preventing freedom of speech

Who will you trust to decide what is disrespectful. What if it was decided that any protests against behaviour within the police were disrespectful.

on not in

Whitewavemark2

Westminster

Police arresting people holding BLANK pieces of paper.

The man in question has just been in TV.

Do not think he was arrested.

Allsorts

Everyone has the right to protest but not to be aggressive and violent. Those people glueing themselves to the roads for instance., disrupting everyone, costing the country a fortune get no ones sympathy. Protesting and shouting abuse at the Queens procession to her resting place, tidally out if order and upsetting thousands who acted with dignity. There will never be anti abortion here, it's ridiculous suggesting it.

Somebody asked last night what havering means.

Here you go, great example.

Was the person holding a blank piece of paper being aggressive and violent? And I'm going to need some help with the "abortion" bit....

Katie59

This is not about the right to protest, campaigning to abolish the Monarchy during the mourning period is highly disrespectful. The whole nation is paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth, now is the time for republicans to keep quiet, but of course some extremists see it as a chance for publicity.

Since when was being 'disrespectful' a criminal offence, Katie59?

Like many posters, I am appalled at the arrests made over this weekend.

What do you think the motives of the protesters are rosie1959? To make their views known to a wide audience and draw attention to their cause, maybe?

Everyone has the right to protest but not to be aggressive and violent. Those people glueing themselves to the roads for instance., disrupting everyone, costing the country a fortune get no ones sympathy. Protesting and shouting abuse at the Queens procession to her resting place, tidally out if order and upsetting thousands who acted with dignity. There will never be anti abortion here, it's ridiculous suggesting it.

I am not a monarchist but from what I have been reading the Queen was quite good at 'protest' even in a role that demanded neutrality.

I find your views offensive and unwanted rosie. I would support your right to say them.

I honestly feel sympathy for the police in these situations they are at a time of heighten security.
I question the motives of these protesters this is not the time or the place in such an emotional setting for those that are attending. These various memorial events are not all about them and what they think I suspect the majority of the people attending have no interest in their protests and may find it offensive and unwanted.
The police obviously do not want any scuffles taking place as it takes their eye off what they are supposed to be doing.

Katie59

This is not about the right to protest, campaigning to abolish the Monarchy during the mourning period is highly disrespectful. The whole nation is paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth, now is the time for republicans to keep quiet, but of course some extremists see it as a chance for publicity.

That is your opinion. It is not mine.

For now, this is a free country and nobody gets to tell anyone else they need to keep quiet about strongly held beliefs.

This is not about the right to protest, campaigning to abolish the Monarchy during the mourning period is highly disrespectful. The whole nation is paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth, now is the time for republicans to keep quiet, but of course some extremists see it as a chance for publicity.

There is footage on twitter, of Russian police carrying out the exact same arrests as British police, over people holding blank sheets of paper as well as signs of protest.

A reminder. If we come out of the ECHR we will be the only country in Europe along with Russia who have done so.

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Amnesty Scotland

@AmnestyScotland
·
13h
It’s incredibly important that at all times – even those of national mourning – that the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful protest are upheld. No one should be arrested for peacefully expressing their opinion.

Westminster

Police arresting people holding BLANK pieces of paper.

Footage of a young woman standing silently holding a small piece of cardboard which read, “ Not my King”

Then surrounded by at least 6-8 police and moved away- not clear to where.

We could be watching the Red Square.

Then it was a man and a woman. His account ... mmm. I will wait for the police account, I think.

DaisyAnne

It wasn't a man who was arrested, was it Grany. A woman was arrested for Breach of the Peace (2010).

In Scottish law, you can be charged with breaching the peace if you engage in any kind of disorderly behaviour which would have a negative effect on other people who bore witness to it. You could get into trouble for things such as swearing or shouting, and the law extends to things like using or threatening with weapons, or sending messages which could be interpreted as being abusive.

Whether you are guilty is another thing.

Yes it was a man who was arrested you can read his personal account that I shared

It wasn't a man who was arrested, was it Grany. A woman was arrested for Breach of the Peace (2010).

In Scottish law, you can be charged with breaching the peace if you engage in any kind of disorderly behaviour which would have a negative effect on other people who bore witness to it. You could get into trouble for things such as swearing or shouting, and the law extends to things like using or threatening with weapons, or sending messages which could be interpreted as being abusive.

Whether you are guilty is another thing.

So can I decide that the saying God save the king is so upsetting to me that people shouldnt say it in case there is violence. People need to realise that if they agree to restrictions on speech it applies to all speech not just the speech they agree with.

I find this really shocking, I wish could write something more profound but as a Mother a severely disabled child supported by our social care system, I need to be very careful about what I say as the system is very much set up to undermine you and if you don;t know your rights, you haven't got a leg to stand on and neither has your loved one. People not being able to say things about the royal family not being elected really is the tip of the iceberg. 'They' are coming after you now

Don't protest.

Somebody else might get violent.

Best arrest you, just in case.

I’m pretty sure they would need police protection if that was attempted, they would be warned and if they persisted they would be arrested for “behavior likely to cause a breach of the peace”. In exactly the same way as Insulate Britain and Football hooligans get arrested.
Demonstrations and protests get denied and limited all the time

This man explains there was no public disorder he was only trying to express his opinion.

Here he explains what happened.

I was arrested after asking “who elected him?” at the proclamation of King Charles

I had not planned to protest today. To be honest, I’m tired and lacking in energy after not being well lately. And I am not some sort of heroic campaigner who rushes round resisting without rest. I am a lot less energetic and dedicated than some people seem to imagine!

I knew that Charles Windsor would be declared “King Charles III” in official ceremonies around the UK today. I had assumed they would be fairly small-scale. Yesterday, a good friend discouraged me from protesting because she was concerned about my health. I reluctantly agreed that she had a point.

It was only when I went to church this morning that I learnt that there was not only a proclamation in Oxford but a procession that would start just outside our church. I was feeling sad and angry as I left church and walked past the cordoned off streets and saw the dignitaries and military leaders standing on the steps of Carfax Tower in clothing more suited to the sixteenth century. This, apparently, is how we proclaim a new head of state in twenty-first century Britain.

bright-green.org/2022/09/11/i-was-arrested-after-asking-who-elected-him-at-the-proclamation-of-king-charles/

@RepublicStaff

We condemn these arrests in the strongest possible terms. Free speech is fundamental to any democracy. At a time when the media is saturated with fawning over a king appointed without discussion or consent, it is even more important.

We will be writing to the police forces concerned and the Met, raising these concerns. We intend to organise protests at the coronation and will expect those protests to be allowed to go ahead peacefully. #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonachy

Freedom of speech has been one of the good things about living in the UK. I am disgusted that the government is eroding our rights.
The police are tasked with keeping the peace and have to make decisions on the safety of all. I wasn't there when these incidents happened so don't know if the mood of the crowd changed and if they thought it may result in public disorder.
I believe that anyone has the right to say what they believe in but people are clearly emotional and it may have caused problems.