London evening security volunteers arrested in coronation protests crackdown labored in partnership with Met Police

A volunteer arrested earlier than the coronation as a part of a crackdown on protesters has instructed MPs her organisation works in partnership with the Metropolitan Police.

Suzie Melvin and two of her colleagues have been detained on the Friday forward of the occasion whereas patrolling streets in central London as a part of Westminster City Council’s Night Stars programme, which gives assist to weak folks on evenings out to maintain them protected.

But regardless of explaining their work to officers – and sporting hi-vis vests with the power’s brand emblazoned on them – the three ladies have been taken into custody following stories folks have been handing out rape alarms to trigger disruption.

Speaking to the Home Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Ms Melvin mentioned she “fully accepted it was a challenging situation for the police” across the crowning of the King however she was involved the expertise might deter others from becoming a member of the volunteer group.

The Commons committee is holding an inquiry into police actions on the coronation after the power confronted a backlash over the arrests it made across the occasion.

Officers took a complete of 64 folks into custody, together with 13 folks to “prevent a breach of the peace” and a person with an unused megaphone, which police mentioned might “scare the horses”.

The Met mentioned officers policed the coronation “proportionately” and throughout the “context” of the large-scale occasion, although they later expressed “regret” for arresting six protesters who have been later launched with out cost.

A lot of critics blamed a brand new regulation, the Public Order Act, introduced in by the federal government simply days earlier than the coronation.

New powers below the regulation embody letting officers cease and search anybody they think of planning to trigger disruption and making “locking on” an offence.

Read extra:
How have protest legal guidelines modified and the way have been they used at coronation?

A senior police supply instructed the i newspaper there had been “firm instruction” from the Home Office to crackdown on protests – amid hypothesis about political strain on officers.

But talking on the identical committee, Assistant Commissioner of the Met, Matt Twist, mentioned the police “rigorously guards [its] operational independence”.

He added: “The stakes were enormously high so I absolutely felt pressure. But that wasn’t political pressure, it was pressure to do a good job.”

The committee itself additionally confronted interruption by protesters from Just Stop Oil on Wednesday – resulting in groans from one MP.

Volunteer describes arrest regardless of work with police

Ms Melvin was requested to explain her expertise to the committee by its chair, Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson.

She defined how the staff of three volunteers began their shift at 7pm, patrolling areas like Soho, Leicester Square and the Embankment.

“We were walking about with our rucksacks [and in our] high visibility vests,” she mentioned. “The rucksacks would contain things like bottles of water, sick bags, slippers, lollipops, hairbands, ponchos – anything you’d need at the end of a night out.”

The volunteer mentioned it was “quite quiet compared to a normal Friday night so we were mainly giving people directions from outside of London on where to watch the coronation”, in addition to talking to law enforcement officials on the beat “as we always do”.

After returning to their base at a close-by church, the three determined to do “a final circuit around Soho” earlier than heading residence.

“Soho Square is always the last area we would patrol because there are often people waiting for taxis on their own there and a large part of our role is trying to keep people safe towards the end of a night,” mentioned Ms Melvin.

“As we were entering the north side of Soho Square, we were approached by a number of [police] vans and then a large number of officers got out of the vans, approached us and said they were going to stop and search us.”

The police went by way of their baggage and their pockets and stored the three volunteers separated, however appeared to disregard their pleas, she mentioned.

“We explained to them who the Night Stars were,” mentioned Ms Melvin. “We showed them emails from Westminster City Council, showed them the Night Stars website, we gave them leaflets which had been printed by Westminster City Council.

“And our excessive visibility vests do show the Met Police brand as effectively as a result of we’re in partnership with the police.”

But an officer told her they were specifically looking for volunteers from the organisation – and rape alarms.

“We do carry rape alarms that are half of a bigger anti-spiking package,” said Ms Melvin. “But neither myself or one in every of my colleagues have ever handed out a rape alarm.

“I think across the three of us, we had potentially three or four rape alarms on us.”

Despite this, the trio have been arrested and brought to Woolworth police station, and their church base was additionally searched.

“I was interviewed at approximately 1pm the following day and then we were released a little bit after 4pm on Saturday,” Ms Melvin added.

Dame Diana was shocked on the story, saying: “That’s such a long time for you to be detained. I am a bit speechless having heard that account of what happened to you and your colleagues.”

Asked by one other MP whether or not the expertise had put her off volunteering, Ms Melvin mentioned no, however added: “I can certainly see that it would dissuade other people from volunteering.

“If there is a threat that you may be arrested and detained in the middle of finishing up your volunteering. It definitely is a fear.”