Nine Women Arrested for Allegedly Planning To Disrupt King Charles' Coronation Claim Wrongful Arrest

Nine women were held for up to 14 hours on suspicion of plotting to disrupt King Charles III's coronation are suing the Metropolitan Police, claiming they were wrongly linked to Just Stop Oil and subjected to 'humiliating' treatment during what they say was an unconnected animal rights workshop.

The women, aged between 20 and 64, were detained on the morning of the coronation in May 2023 while attending a training session run by the campaign group Animal Rising, roughly five miles from the ceremony in central London.

According to their claim, now before the High Court, officers treated them as part of Just Stop Oil and arrested them on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, despite what their lawyers say was no intelligence connecting the women or Animal Rising to the climate group.

The group, which includes students, medical professionals and teachers, insist they had no plans to protest at the coronation. They say the session, publicly advertised for weeks in advance, was being held in a building also used by Just Stop Oil, and that this coincidence was enough for police to include them in a wider operation.

Inside the Arrests at an 'Ironically' Police-Focused Workshop

Course trainer Louise Hillwood, one of the nine bringing the claim, said the workshop was, 'ironically', focused on how to interact positively with the police. She said officers searched the group's belongings before leading them outside in handcuffs, describing the experience as humiliating and adding that they were made to wait for hours in a police van before being taken in for questioning.

The women allege that between 15 and 20 officers, mostly male, were involved in the operation. They say they underwent full body searches and were held in custody for up to 14 hours, despite repeatedly telling officers they had no connection to plans to disrupt the coronation.

They remained under investigation until the end of August 2023, when their phones were returned and they were told there was insufficient evidence to proceed. No charges were brought.

Legal Challenge To Met's Just Stop Oil Intelligence

The case is being brought by law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, which argues the central issue is the Met's assertion that it held intelligence linking the women to Just Stop Oil. Lawyers for the group say officers conflated two separate movements, with serious consequences for those caught up in the operation.

Susie Labinjoh, head of civil liberties at Hodge Jones & Allen, said the arrests, which she described as unlawful, had left a lasting psychological toll. She said some of the women had since experienced panic attacks, depression, anxiety and paranoia.

Hillwood has since launched a crowdfunding page to support the legal challenge and to press for scrutiny of how the decision to arrest the group was made.

Met Defends Tactics Amid Pre-Coronation Protest Tensions

The Metropolitan Police denies any wrongdoing and is defending the claim. The force maintains its officers acted lawfully given the pressure to prevent disruption at a high-profile, high-risk event. It will now be for the High Court to weigh that argument against the women's account of being caught in a broad pre-emptive operation.

The arrests came amid heightened tension over protest tactics in the run-up to the coronation, with ministers backing tougher police powers after a series of high-profile disruptions by Just Stop Oil and other groups. That climate, the women's lawyers argue, contributed to a rushed and mistaken operation with lasting consequences for those involved.