Royal superfan locked up for 13 hours during Coronation after standing near protesters
11 May 2023, 15:41 | Updated: 11 May 2023, 18:52
A royal superfan was shocked to find herself arrested at the Coronation after standing near some eco-activists police feared would disrupt the procession.
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Alice Chambers, 36, had travelled to the Mall on Saturday and was waiting to see the King - when she suddenly found herself handcuffed by police officers who had come to arrest Just Stop Oil protesters.
But Ms Chambers, an Australian architect who has lived in London for seven years, had never heard of Just Stop Oil, let alone being a part of the group.
She said that officers arrested her for "potential to cause a breach the peace" at around 9am that morning, along with about 12 other people, in scenes captured on television.
Ms Chambers said: "I was just sitting on my little stool and I noticed there was some yelling and then some police swooped in and were pushing the crowd back.
She told the i:"I must have been right on the edge of that, I went to get up and two police officers just grabbed me and handcuffed me.
"I don’t think they said anything, I think they arrested me before they asked a question.
"I feel like once I was in the system they didn’t listen, I tried to explain that I wasn’t part of the group."
Ms Chambers said she was taken to Wandsworth police station, questioned, searched, held in a cell and had her DNA, fingerprints and mugshot taken.
It was only at 7pm that officers realised that she had been an innocent bystander.
"I think the only question they asked me was, ‘Why were you on The Mall?'” Ms Chambers said.
"I explained the whole thing, how I went down there at 7am to get a good spot, how I went one way and it was blocked and I ended up walking back to where there seemed to be some space.
"They looked at each other and then they asked ‘have you ever heard of Just Stop Oil? I said, ‘Up until today no.’ They said we have no further questions and we’re really sorry you’ve been caught up in this.
"That was the point I started crying and got emotional – that was the first time anyone had been able to listen to my side of the story.
"I asked them, ‘Was there anything I could have done that would have meant I didn’t end up here?'"
She was only let go at 10pm that night. Officers offered to take her home, but she just wanted to get away from them, and took public transport home.
She said: "Everyone on the Tube had had the most incredible day, and there’s me that had the complete opposite."
Ms Chambers added: "That’s what’s great about the UK and London, the pomp and the ceremony that’s pretty unique in the world.
Ms Chambers said it was "devastating" that she missed the Coronation because it "was a one-time event, you can’t rerun it next year", unlike Trooping the Colour.
She has now complained to the police and watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “We are aware that a woman was arrested in relation to a protest on 6 May 2023.
"The arresting officer was from Lincolnshire Police and the complaint has therefore been passed to the relevant force to investigate. The Met will assist by providing any relevant information they require."
Chief Inspector Simon Outen from the Professional Standards Department at Lincolnshire Police, said: "Our officers were in central London providing mutual aid support to colleagues in the Met on Saturday 6 May, and during that time, a woman in her 30s was arrested in connection with a Just Stop Oil protest.
"She was subsequently released with no further action.
"We have now received a complaint and we are reviewing the incident, and we are in contact with the complainant to establish the full details of her allegations."
Ms Chambers said: "I understand why the police were on the edge, they did have a tough job that day,” she said.
"But they need to have better processes and better training in place because innocent people shouldn’t be getting locked up for that long.
"I just want to do as much as I can to get the message out there so it doesn’t happen to other people."
Some 64 people were arrested at the Coronation overall, with the Met criticised in some quarters for a heavy-handed approach.
The Met said on Tuesday that they "regret" the arrests of six anti-monarchy protestors at the eent.
Police bosses said a review concluded there was no proof the group of activists were planning to "lock on" - a now regular tactic employed by protestors which has been banned under the law.
But Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defended the actions of his officers, saying people dressed as Coronation stewards brought lock-on devices and white paint that they planned to use to criminally disrupt the event.
Praising his officers for their efforts at the Coronation, Sir Mark said: "I want to be absolutely clear - our activity was targeted at those we believed were intent on causing serious disruption and criminality.Serious and reliable intelligence told us that the risks were very real."
Speaking to LBC on Thursday, London mayor Sadiq Khan said that by and large the police did a fantastic job, but it was right that the Met should say sorry.
Mr Khan rejected the suggestion that exceptional events like the Coronation are treated differently in terms of the way they are policed, saying: "You've got to be able to walk and chew at the same time.
He added: "I'd remind your listeners, the right to protest is enshrined in the Human Rights Act, which some politicians want to get rid of, it's Article 10.
"And by the way, protests can sometimes be unpopular, it's not just simply popular things you can protest about."
