Coronation: Policing of Protests

Kim Johnson Excerpts

Tuesday 9th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Chris Philp]

The overall gold commander at the event is one of the Metropolitan police’s most experienced public order commanders—at the rank of commander. Many officers have had specialist public order training in the course of their career, but training must keep up with legislative changes. The College of Policing and others will be issuing the relevant guidance to ensure that that is addressed.

[Kim Johnson (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab)]

Does the Minister agree that the Metropolitan police’s expression of regret regarding the arrest of six anti-monarchy protesters this weekend is an admission of guilt, and does he accept that that is a chilling violation of basic democratic rights that demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Public Order Act should be immediately repealed?

[Chris Philp]

No, I do not agree.