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Anti-monarchy campaigners to face ‘human rights nightmare’ if they protest the coronation

ANTI-MONARCHY and republican campaigners have been warned they face a “human rights nightmare” if they protest at Saturday’s lavish coronation-fest in London.

Human rights group Liberty issued the warning after several veiled threats by the Metropolitan Police against protesters taking part in the Not My King demonstration.

“Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low,” the Met statement said.

“We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration.”

And in the Royal Borough of Windsor, where 1,000 police officers are being deployed to keep the peace, Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt of Thames Valley Police said that disruptive protests will be treated with a “lower tolerance level” during the extravaganza.

Mr Bunt said that police resources available in Windsor will include drones, specialist investigation teams, security screening, helicopters and armed police patrols.

He also said he “had got intelligence officers, behavioural detection officers and a range of covert officers that will be deployed on the ground” looking for potential disrupters.

Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has said that at least 1,000 republicans are expected to mount a peaceful protest along the route of the carriage carrying Mr Windsor and his second wife Camilla to the crowning ritual at Westminster Abbey.

Emmanuelle Andrews, policy and campaigns manager at Liberty, said: “The policing of the coronation across the country is shaping up to be a human rights nightmare.

“Protest is not a gift from the state, it’s our fundamental right and should be respected as such.

“The police and the government have created a really hostile environment for protesters over the past few years, and everything we’ve seen around the coronation has added to that.

“Just this week we’ve seen protest groups sent intimidatory letters, anti-protest laws rushed through, and plans for facial recognition to be deployed against millions of people.

“Comments like this on the policing of the coronation are going to discourage lots of people from feeling able to stand up for what they believe in. 

“It’s setting a really dangerous precedent for us as a supposedly democratic nation.”

Labour MP Richard Burgon has called on the new monarch to pay inheritance tax on the family wealth passed down to him by his late mother — and said the public should not be forced to foot the multimillion-pound bill for Saturday’s event.

The Leeds MP and former shadow attorney general also criticised the secrecy surrounding the cost of the ceremony and said taxpayers’ should not be made to pay.

Costs have been estimated at up to £250 million.

“Tellingly, no official budget has been released for the coronation and the government is tight-lipped over the official cost,” Mr Burgon said. 

“Surely the coronation should be subjected to the same levels of scrutiny as any other publicly funded project?

“There are strong majorities in the country against the public funding for the coronation and for scrapping the special tax exemption that means the King doesn’t pay inheritance tax.

“The public should not be footing the bill for the coronation.” 

In Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, the Dog and Partridge city centre pub has promised to provide an “anti-coronation safe space” over the weekend.

The pub also displays a notice stating “No sexists. No racists. No fascists.”

Sheffield Left group will also be staging an “anti-monarchy picnic” at 12.30pm.

The event takes place next to Queen Victoria’s statue in the city’s Endcliffe Park.

In its invitation the group said: “Not impressed by the prospect of appointing an unelected billionaire as our head of state just because his mum was?

“Come along and celebrate Sheffield’s socialist republican tradition instead.”

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