Minister defends Met after ‘women’s safety volunteers’ arrested

THE Metropolitan Police had to make “tough calls” on the day of the Coronation, the Culture Secretary has said amid a row over the reported arrest of women’s street safety volunteers who were carrying rape alarms.

Lucy Frazer insisted police had got the “balance right” between allowing protests and preventing disruption to the procession.

She defended the Met after the force was heavily criticised by activists and human rights groups over the arrests, denying that officers had gone too far.

The Met confirmed that 52 people were arrested on Saturday for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the Coronation.

Among those apparently arrested were three members of Westminster city council’s “Night Stars” safety team, which provides support to women on nights out.

A 37-year-old woman, a 59-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance at about 2am in Soho, London, on Saturday morning.

The group regularly hand out rape alarms as part of their work.

According to the council’s website, Night Star volunteers are “focused on working with the West End’s evening and night-time economy businesses to promote women’s safety and reduce violence against women and girls”.

Ade Adelekan, the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, said: “The intelligence we received led us to be extremely worried about the potential risk to public safety.

“We are aware of and understand there is public concern over these arrests. However, the matter is still under investigation.”

It is understood that one of the people arrested, Riz Choudhry, was a member of Extinction Rebellion and had been part of the group’s “arrestee welfare” team.

A spokesman for the group confirmed Mr Choudhry’s arrest and said: “The devices they were in possession of are a usual part of their duties to keep vulnerable women safe on streets at night, and for this to be turned into an excuse for an unwarranted arrest is incredibly worrying and very upsetting.”

Ms Frazer, however, told BBC’S Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the police were right to factor in the scale and global nature of the event.

Ms Frazer said that the police had made “tough calls” and the right to protest was “really important”, but there had been a recent change in protesters’ tactics.

Protesters have been stopping people going about their daily lives, she said. “People have the right to live their day-to-day life,” she argued.

Adam Hug, leader of Westminster city council, said he was “urgently pushing the police for proper answers” over the incident.

Aicha Less, a Labour councillor, said the reports were “deeply concerning”, adding the volunteers were a “familiar and welcome sight” in the West End.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said he had demanded “clarity” from the force’s leaders on the arrests.

Mic Wright, a journalist who first highlighted the story after speaking to the three people when they were released from custody, said that one of the suspects “left the station in tears”.