Man arrested for heckling Prince Andrew at Edinburgh procession
A man was today arrested for heckling Prince Andrew as the royal followed behind the coffin of the Queen in a procession in Edinburgh.
The arrest is the latest example of police across the UK clamping down on people protesting events to commemorate the Queen’s death, sparking concerns about infringement of freedom of speech.
The man arrested in Edinburgh today shouted “Andrew, you’re a sick old man” as the procession went down the city’s Royal Mile.
He was then forcibly pushed back from the barricades by other spectators and then taken away by police.
It comes after one woman was charged today for breach of the peace by Police Scotland for holding up a sign saying “f**k imperialism, abolish monarchy” during another event.
Another woman holding an anti-monarchy sign outside the houses of parliament was today ushered away by Metropolitan Police officers, sparking further concerns over freedom of speech.
A Met spokesperson said: “A member of the public was asked to move away from the Carriage Gates outside the Palace of Westminster this morning in order to facilitate vehicle access and egress through the gates. She was not arrested and not asked to leave the wider area.”
Veteran broadcaster Andrew Marr said it was “outrageous” that people were being arrested for anti-monarchy protests.
Tory peer and Vote Leave veteran Lord Daniel Hannan said he was worried “that our police are becoming more authoritarian and – worse – that a section of the public is cheering them on”
“Detaining people for shouting republican slogans, even if they do so in a deliberately coarse and provocative way, is utterly un-British,” he said.