Arrests of UK anti-royal protesters spur free-speech debate

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a handful of people in Britain have been detained by police for expressing anti-monarchy views. The arrests have sparked a debate about free speech at a time of national mourning. Two people were charged with breaching the peace in Edinburgh, including a woman who held a sign calling for the abolition of the monarchy. In Oxford, a peace activist was handcuffed after he shouted his opposition during a ceremonial proclamation of the new king. Rights group Liberty accused police of using their powers in “a heavy-handed and punitive way.” London’s Metropolitan Police said it had been made clear to officers that “the public absolutely have a right of protest.”