Campaign groups said yesterday's arrests, including that of the chief executive of anti-monarchy group Republic, were "something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London".
The Metropolitan Police confirmed four people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance on St Martin's Lane and that lock-on devices were seized - a move described by human rights organisation Liberty as "a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation".
Just after 7am, footage of Republic chief executive Graham Smith was posted on Twitter which showed him among the demonstrators apprehended on St Martin's Lane near Trafalgar Square.
This story is from the May 07, 2023 edition of MEN on Sunday.
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This story is from the May 07, 2023 edition of MEN on Sunday.
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