The coronation of King Charles this Saturday in London attracts the arrival of many heads of state and crowned heads. The police have unveiled certain devices that they intend to put in place for the event, which will be very scrutinized.
The event is high risk. The coronation of Charles III and Camilla will result in “one of the biggest security operations” the UK has ever seen on Saturday, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat told Times Radio on Wednesday.
The case should bring together this Saturday about 100 heads of state, royal families from around the world or representatives of several cults among the more than 2,200 people invited to the ceremony, according to the palace of Buckingham. All in the heart of London, which will probably see a very large crowd.
To add to this tense backdrop, a man was arrested near Buckingham Palace on Tuesday after throwing what police suspect were shotgun shells in the grounds of the official residence of British rulers. The man had a knife on him and was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, London police said in a statement. She specifies that she is not handling this case for the moment as a terrorism file.
More than 11,500 police officers deployed
Minister Tom Tugendhat assured Wednesday that British security forces and intelligence are “fully aware” of the challenges posed by the coronation of Charles III and are “ready to meet”.
Eight months after “London Bridge”, the code name of the precise operation of the funeral of Elizabeth II, the British police are rolling out “Golden Orb”, their device for the coronation of the king.
On Saturday, more than 11,500 law enforcement officers will be deployed, London police said in a statement. It will be “the largest one-day mobilization of police officers in decades”, said Ade Adelekan, a Scotland Yard official. Over a week, 29,000 officers will be deployed.
Facial recognition and snipers
London police also said they “intend to use facial recognition technology in central London”. It will mainly seek people “who are wanted for offenses or who are the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by the courts, or those who are subject to offender management programs”.
According to presse locale, snipers will be posted on the roofs, ready to intervene if necessary, and plainclothes police will mingle with the crowd. None drone or plane is allowed to fly over central London on Saturday, except for authorized security or media helicopters. A large part of the area will also be closed to cars.
Demonstrations during the festivities?
The royal family also faces a risk of disruption to the ceremony, from environmental groups or anti-monarchy activists in particular. Charles is regularly greeted on his travels by demonstrators displaying “Not my King” signs and t-shirts.
The anti-monarchy group Republic calls this on his site at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square, the square through which Charles and Camilla must pass on their way to Westminster Abbey.
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat told the BBC on Wednesday that these activists would have “the freedom to demonstrate on Saturday, like anyone else in the UK”, but would not have “the freedom to disrupt others”. He, however, declined to mention what specific acts might be punished at the coronation ‘for fear of encouraging people to find loopholes’
The group of environmental activists Just Stop Oil, known for its shock actions – such as the blocking of roads, bridges and other infrastructure – is also very scrutinized for the day on Saturday.
London police warned on Wednesday that their tolerance for “any disturbance, whether protests or otherwise”, will be “low”.
