Senior Tory attacks party’s ‘poorly defined’ anti-protest bill after coronation arrests backlash

Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said ‘celebrating crowds applauded and cheered’ as his officers made arrests near the processional route

A senior Tory has attacked his party’s own anti-protest bill as “too crude” and “poorly defined” after police faced backlash over its use to arrest coronation protesters.

Former minister David Davis said the arrest of six demonstrators, including Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, was an example of flaws in the bill.

Mr Davis was the only Conservative MP to oppose the government’s Public Order Act, which hands police new powers to shut down protests before they occur by lowering the bar for “serious disruption”.