The Conservative party’s deputy chair, Lee Anderson, has said that anti-monarchist campaigners should emigrate rather than use their right to free speech to protest against the coronation of Charles III.
The comments followed the arrest of a number of demonstrators at the king’s coronation, including Graham Smith, the chief executive of the country’s largest republican pressure group, Republic, which was formed in 1983.
The police have been accused of a heavy-handed approach to the protesters after the arrests but Anderson expressed his personal frustration at the dissent by about 2,000 people around Trafalgar Square.
He tweeted: “Not My King? If you do not wish to live in a country that has a monarchy the solution is not to turn up with your silly boards. The solution is to emigrate.”
Anderson, who is known by the nickname “30p Lee” since suggesting that it takes 30p to make a meal, was appointed as deputy chair of the Conservative party in February.
Jonathan Harris, a Lib Dem councillor in West Northamptonshire, tweeted: “30p Lee – Idiot on display. You took the rights away for British people to live and work across the EU, and forget that great democracies are built on and absolutely allow the right to peaceful protest.”
Smith had been collecting drinks and placards for demonstrators at the main site of the protest on Trafalgar Square two hours before the king was due to arrive at Westminster Abbey when he was stopped along with five others by police on nearby St Martin’s Lane.
The group had been walking behind a rental van containing hundreds of placards when they were approached by the police and searched.
A video of an exchange with one of those arrested was caught on film. One police officer can be heard saying: “I’m not going to get into a conversation about that, they are under arrest, end of.”
The arrests were said to have been made despite a series of meetings and agreements between Republic and Scotland Yard over the demonstration, which was to take place at the point where Whitehall meets the Mall.
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Human rights activist Peter Tatchell said the police had reneged on private assurances that the anti-monarchist protest could go ahead unimpeded.
He said: “They have gone back on these promises by arresting the head of Republic, seizing their placards and megaphones, submitting those here to photographic surveillance and constructing a watchtower in front of the demonstration so that the king would not see the protest as he passed by on the way to the palace.”
Scotland Yard later said “several” arrests had been made for breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause public disorder, adding that lock-on devices used by protesters to attach themselves to street furniture had been found. The allegation was denied by Republic.
A Met spokesperson said: “We have made a number of arrests in the area of Carlton House Terrace. The individuals have been held on suspicion of breaching the peace. Earlier today we arrested four people in the area of St Martin’s Lane. They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance. We seized lock-on devices.
“A further three people were arrested in the area of Wellington Arch. They were held on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage. There will be further updates.”
