A line of people holding a blank sheet and blank pieces of paper has formed outside the historic venue in defence of freedom of speech
Barrister Paul Powlesland held up a blank placard in London on Monday and he said he was told he would be arrested if he wrote “not my King” on it
at least four people arrested and charged in Scotland in the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s passing
So what are the actual laws for anti-monarchist protesters?
The rules in place are different in Scotland and in England. The two countries have had different legal systems for centuries, with provisions in the 1707 Acts of Union to keep the two separated.
The four arrests in Scotland – three in Edinburgh and one in Aberdeen – were all made under breach of the peace laws
Breach of the peace is a common law offence, meaning it has been developed by the courts and does not have a specific basis in government statute
In England, there has not yet been anyone charged with a specific offence, although there have been reports of an arrest – and a barrister in London was threatened with arrest if he wrote “not my king” on a blank piece of paper
The Tory government’s act, which came into effect in April, gives police in England the right to impose conditions on protesters if noise generated by them may lead to alarm or distress for people in the area, according to
libertyhumanrights.org.uk.