The method the British government intends to use to keep demonstrators away during the coronation of King Charles has led to considerable debate. The British defense minister wants to make demonstrations more difficult and introduce tougher penalties for demonstrators who do more than express their views.
The United Kingdom restricts the right to protest
The laws had been in the making for some time, but were dealt with by Parliament in a short period of time. Just in time for Coronation Day this Saturday, according to United Kingdom correspondent Leah Van Begoven, it has everything to do with the extinction rebellion. ‘They blocked the highways.
“If any demonstrator creates a nuisance, the police may be deemed to have the right to arrest that demonstrator.”
The difficulty lies mainly in high fines, points out van Begoven. Demonstrators trying to stop something or making noise could face up to 12 months in jail. ‘Truly; Every demonstrator who causes a disturbance may assume that the police have the right to arrest a demonstrator.’
Freedom of speech
It seems inconsistent with the right to freedom of expression, which is the point. For example, Van Beckhoven mentions a demonstrator who was arrested for holding an anti-monarchy sign. “That’s enough to get her arrested.”
Although this has led to many debates, it seems that for the time being the knot has been loosened. According to van Begoven, this is because the law takes a long time to develop. “Debates have actually already taken place,” he says, referring to some of the restrictions on civil liberties under Boris Johnson. ‘This includes the right to protest. The reason they’ve been pushed now is because it’s aimed at the coronation – many British people are opposed to the law, but many heads of state are expected on Saturday, so it can be imagined that such legislation would be necessary. .’
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He emphasizes that protesting is not completely banned in the United Kingdom, “but the British authorities want anti-monarchy people to stay at home, and many British people agree with that,” Van Begoven concludes.
