The Crown Prosecution Service has informed the Met that 21 people who were arrested as part of our policing operation for the King’s Coronation will face no further action.
The groups were arrested in order to prevent a breach of the peace and on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance in The Mall and in Whitehall, on the morning of 6 May 2023.
Officers from the Met referred the cases to the Crown Prosecution Service in August 2023.
After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors have concluded that there is no realistic prospect of conviction and as a result no further action is to be taken.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “Tens of thousands of people from around the world travelled to London on 6 May for the King’s Coronation. The Met played a vital role in ensuring the event passed safely and securely.
“In the hours before the Coronation, we had intelligence that indicated activists were plotting to target the procession. We had real concerns that such efforts would not only disrupt a once in a lifetime event of enormous national significance, but that they could also compromise the security and safety of participants and the wider public. Officers were briefed on these concerns and we needed to be proactive in managing this risk and prevent any activity that could put public safety or the security of the event at risk.
“The Met deals with protests thousands of times every year across London. On the day we had an extensive policing plan in place to ensure people who wanted to protest could do so peacefully. Many did so, and there were protests at various points along the procession route, including in Trafalgar Square.
“Considering the decision by the CPS, it is important to note that the threshold for obtaining a charge is higher than making an arrest, an officer only needs reasonable grounds to suspect an offence is going to be committed. Every day officers have to make difficult decisions with limited time, based on the often partial information and I support them in their decision making in this case.
“For example, three of those who were arrested on the day which did not lead to charge, were found near the Coronation route in the early hours of the day of the event in possession of glue, a banner from a known activist group, Allen keys and other paraphernalia that could have been used to commit criminal damage or other disruption. I am confident the public would recognise why officers chose to make arrests in such circumstances, even though it has ultimately been determined that a conviction at court would be unlikely.”
