The right to protest no longer exists in this country.

That's not hyperbally, that's an accurate summary.

Protest has now de facto been redefined as a privilege,

which is arbitrarily dispensed by the police,

an institution which cannot, in any meaningful way,

be trusted to protect our freedoms.

Indeed, it itself has a profoundly anti-democratic culture,

which I'll explain.

Now, this weekend, people protestors

at the King's coronation who support an elected head of state

and bear in mind the Republican cause in this country,

according to polls, has the support

of about a quarter of the population,

that's about 14, 15 million British adults in this country.

They were arrested.

Now, six of them belong to the protest group

republic who campaigned for a democratically elected head

of state, including its leader, Graeme Smith,

despite having liased with police in advance of the protest.

Indeed, they were in contact, as ITV has revealed,

with the Met back in January,

and Met with the Met in March.

...