Events like the coronation tend to provoke strong reactions. Some sat in the rain for hours, even days, in fact, just to catch a glimpse of their new king. But there were others who went there to protest, to signal their wish that the monarchy be abolished and replaced with

an elected head of state. And so it was for the six members of Pressure Group Republic,

or rather it would have been had they not been arrested ahead of the coronation under the Public

Order Act, which was itself only made law a handful of days before.

Several environmental activists were also taken into custody

and three members of Westminster City Council's Nightstarres,

volunteers who'd been handing out rape alarms in London's West End.

So far, no charges have been brought.

All have been released without charge.

The Met Police Commissioner has described the arrest as unfortunate. Others, of course, have used

rather more colourful language. But what exactly is the Public Order Act? I will be hearing from a

human rights lawyer explaining just that, plus a former chief constable

on the difficulties of policing civil disobedience and public disorder, also an academic

on why Western democracies are seemingly moving to restrict protest.

The police itself is to some extent against a new bill, because they think that it's too much responsibility for them

or they think it's unclear, it's not going to be very easy to apply.

But let's start, shall we, with the journalist Mick Wright.

Now he travelled to London on the morning of the coordination to report on the arrests of those members of the group Republic,

including its CEO Graham Smith. Mick found his way to a police station in South London.

I got into London by about midday and I turned up and there were Republic guys in yellow hoodies outside their station,

but there were also just up oil related people. There was a couple of other

non-affiliated kind of protest group type people there. That was it. I knew that there were

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