et al who suppressed any notion of major disruptive process in London today. KC - send them over 10 boxes or barrels of beer for each arrest - that's 520 by my reckoning.
Many of those arrested were doing nothing but holding signs
sorry but it is the job of the police to distinguish actual threats from people simply expressing opinions in public... terrible behaviour by the authorities
We really are turning in to a police State with peaceful protest outlawed and at least one of our judges lamenting people making the place look untidy (by protesting).
The trouble is, one person's "peaceful protest" is another's inconvenience or spoilt enjoyment. I actually believe there should be a dedicated place for "peaceful protest" (say in the middle of Dartmoor or Thetford Forest) where all the protesters can go and annoy each other in furtherance of their respective causes. That way, only protesters will be annoyed or inconvenienced by protests.
If I had organised the event (for £250 million) I would have provided an area on the route for the protesters, from where they could shout ‘Not in my name’ at the King, and ‘Nonce’ at Prince Andrew.
I felt sorry for some of the police today. It was pissing with rain all day and they weren't even wearing waterproofs. One poor girl stood near us for about 6 hours and she was absolutely sodden.
I don't know what went on but in Whitehall I only saw 3 protesters with Not My King banners. The people in the crowd held up their umbrellas to block them so the police didn't have to do very much.
"person's "peaceful protest" is another's inconvenience or spoilt enjoyment."
someone being inconvenienced or... "spoilt enjoyment"... is not a matter for the metropolitan police.. so the thing you describe is not a trouble at all
the fact that you find someone "untidy" is not cause for them to be arrested... that way lies a police state