Woman arrested after protester holds anti-monarchy sign in Edinburgh

This type of stuff is very concerning but it's been around for a while. Section 5 of the Public Order Act is essentially a catch all to arrest (and typically take them to a police station and de-arrest them). It's fairly common during disorder and I've seen it personally.

@TotoHorner above/below makes the joke "cool to protest provided it's something popular' but that is basically the case with Section 5. The wording is something like "likely to cause widespread offence or alarm" which means that the offence is defined in line with what the police or judges believe is the public mood.

One example of this was that during COVID, a woman was murdered by an off duty police officer and there were protests in London during a lockdown. Many of the people at the protest were arrested (as had protested during anti-lockdown protest) but subsequently the police apologised and said they regretted what they did. There's no doubt they were implementing the law as written but they implemented it against a popular and sympathetic group - which didn't work out well.

“Woman arrested after protester holds anti-monarchy sign in Edinburgh.”

Apparently, the “Woman” and the “protester” are the same person.

There are a million-and-one ways to protest the monarchy; more than ever before. Seems narcissistic and petty to go and ruin other people's days. That's not "protesting", that's just being a twat.

For what it's worth, I'm not in favour of the monarchy, but we can be against the monarchy and maintain a baseline of kindness and respect.

Police Scotland said the arrest was made outside St Giles’ Cathedral, where the Queen’s coffin is due to be held on Monday.

Moments before the proclamation on Sunday afternoon, a demonstrator appeared in the crowd opposite the Mercat Cross.

Officers appeared behind her and took her away, prompting the crowd to applaud.

One man shouted: “Let her go, it’s free speech,” while others yelled: “Have some respect.”

A police spokesman said a 22-year-old woman was arrested “in connection with a breach of the peace”.

It came after hecklers were heard booing during the event.

During the first proclamation of Charles, the Lord Lyon King of Arms gave a speech before declaring “God save the King”, which the crowd repeated.

One man was heard booing throughout the cheers.

The national anthem was then sung but, afterwards, people could be heard calling for a republic.

After Lord Lyon King led three cheers, saying “hip hip” to replies of “hooray”, booing was heard for a second time.

Some mourners called the hecklers “disrespectful”, saying they should have avoided the proclamation if they believe in a republic.

Helen Smith, 48, from Livingston, told the PA news agency: “I believe everyone does have a right to protest, but I thought it was the wrong place at the wrong time.

“(It was) incredibly disrespectful to the event that we were just seeing.”

Ms Smith, an engineer, she feels it dampened the event for the rest of the crowd.

“We saw the police keeping an eye on things behind us, and we thought something was going to kick off, and it did,” she said.

“We just felt disappointed because the eyes of the world are on us at the moment.

“It’s a massive moment in history. We’ve had the death of the longest-serving monarch we’ve ever had, we’ve got the new King being proclaimed, and then we have the heckling at the back and the shouting.”

Ann Hamilton, 48, said she thought the interruptions were “terrible”.

Ms Hamilton, who travelled from Dumfries, told PA: “There’s tens of thousands of people here today to show their respect.

“For them to be here, heckling through things, I think it was terrible. If they were so against it, they shouldn’t have come.

“Once everyone was singing God Save The King with their full voices, it was drowning them out.”

Donald Maclaren, 64, of Livingston, added: “It’s very disrespectful. There is a time and a place if you want to protest, but this isn’t it.

“Somebody shouted, ‘Republic now’. Then, when they were doing the three cheers, somebody was booing.”

Liz Maclaren, 67, also branded it “disrespectful”, saying: “The boos sounded like one person.”

But there's a limit to arresting those speaking out, because it can so easily be abused.

That's the gist of the discussion. What further observations can we make?

They used the death of Elizabeth as an excuse for suppressing the speech during a different event - the solemnizing of a new King. One is related to the other, but I fear this excuse can be used to suppress anything (Have some respect! The Queen died just last month! Stop protesting oil prices!)

And let's admit, this was a goofy event about an imaginary aura being moved from one person (who is dead?!) to another (related to her? Nepotism!) It's up there with witches and demons (belief in otherworldly powers invested in humans). So maybe not of big import to most of us.