Police had warned they would have a "low" tolerance for attempts to disrupt King Charles III's coronation. She confirmed that she had made several arrests on suspicion of disturbing public order in several places in London, including six anti-monarchy activists.

Police arrested "six of our organizers and seized hundreds of placards" with the slogan "Not my king," a spokesman for the Republic group told AFP, whose hundreds of supporters gathered early Saturday morning in Trafalgar Square, on the route of the procession.

Republic chairman Graham Smith was among those arrested, the group said.

Environmental activists arrested

"Free Graham Smith," protesters shouted at the scene, an AFP journalist said.

"That's exactly why we're here today. Because the monarchy represents everything that goes wrong in Britain: privilege, inequality and the absence of democracy," Martin Weegman, one of the anti-monarchy protesters, told AFP.

Around hundreds of activists carrying signs reading "Citizens, not subjects" or "Abolish the monarchy", half-amused, half-stunned royalty defenders responded with a "God Save the King".

The environmental group Just Stop Oil also said that 19 of its activists had been arrested near the route planned for the procession.

The group had planned to demonstrate on the occasion of the coronation to oppose the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the country.

The authorities "repress our legitimate right to protest", but "we will continue to do everything possible without violence to get out of oil and gas", the group said in a statement sent to AFP.

"Disturbing public order and conspiracy"

London police confirmed seven arrests of people "suspected of various offences, including disturbing public order and conspiracy to breach public order in the vicinity of the coronation".

The arrests come after a police official, Christian Bunt, warned Friday that protests disrupting the coronation would be treated with a "lower level of tolerance."

The NGO Human Rights Watch denounced these arrests. "Reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly worrying. This is something you expect to see in Moscow, not London," said Yasmine Ahmed, the organisation's head in the UK.

Inaudible under the reign of Elizabeth II, who died last September, the republican movement intends to take advantage of the lower popularity of Charles III to make its voice heard.

According to a recent YouGov poll, the majority of Britons (58%) are still in favour of maintaining the monarchy, but this feeling is declining among young people. Only 32% of 18-24 year olds are in favour against 38% who want an elected head of state (and 30% have no opinion).

With AFP

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