9 innocent women, arrested and detained for over 9 hours for attending an animal campaigning workshop 

On 6 May 2023, whilst the King’s Coronation was taking place, we were arrested, subjected to full body searches, and detained for more than 9 hours for conspiring to cause a public nuisance at the royal event that had already begun 6 miles away.

We are a group of 9 women, aged 21 to 64, with no criminal records, who were simply trying to attend a well-publicised training day, organised by the non-violent social change group, Animal Rising.

The 9 of us - including a retired university lecturer, a PhD student, a teacher, and a dog walker - were arrested in a pre-emptive police operation.

The experience was terrifying and has left many of us suffering with anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, depression, and fearful of the police.

Shortly before the training session was due to start, a large number of mostly male police officers entered the building while shouting “police” and banging on the door. We were searched. Despite our explanation and ample evidence of the training we were about to undertake, we were arrested. We were subjected to the humiliation of being escorted, in handcuffs, in front of members of the public to police stations in Brixton and Stoke Newington.

Once at the station, we endured full-body searches and were detained for between 9 to 14 hours before being released at night without our phones, which had been seized.

We had to wait five months for the Metropolitan Police to return our phones and confirm that no further action would be taken. There was ‘insufficient evidence’ for any charges.

Since our arrests, many of us have been left battling the emotional and mental trauma of that day. We are all fearful of the police and no longer feel safe joining campaigning groups or exercising our fundamental rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.  

Before 6 May, most of us had little to no experience of campaigning or protests and could never have imagined that attending a simple non-violent campaigning training session, aimed at protecting animals and the environment, could end in arrest.

Why is our case important?

We believe this could have happened to anyone, and that the Metropolitan Police’s tactic of pre-emptive arrest on the day of the Coronation was unlawful.

Following our arrest, it quickly became clear that we were not alone. Many other people, unknown to us, a film maker, journalists, republican and environmental protestors were arrested pre-emptively at the Coronation in a blatant crackdown on freedom of speech.

Each of us has had to cope with the mental and physical toll of the Met’s actions, with no apology or accountability for our suffering.

How you can help

We want to hold the Metropolitan Police to account. To challenge the police’s tactic of unlawful pre-emptive arrest, we are bringing a legal claim against them, but we need your help to raise the £20,000 to progress the case.

The case will be conducted by the law firm Hodge Jones & Allen LLP and barrister Darryl Hutcheon of Matrix Chambers, both of whom have successfully dealt with many cases of state overreach.

As the case progresses, we may need to raise further funds and will publish updates to this page.