An Australian fan of the royals has been released after she was wrongfully arrested by British police during last weekend’s coronation and detained for almost 13 hours.
Alice Chambers, an Adelaide woman who’s lived in London for seven years, was arrested under new, controversial police powers.
She was standing on The Mall, next to a group of would-be environmental protesters who were yet to start demonstrating.
Problem was, Chambers wasn’t part of the Just Stop Oil campaigners — she was just trying to catch a glimpse of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
“Unfortunately I was one of the people they grabbed … they handcuffed me straight away,” she told BBC’s Newsnight.
“I kept trying to explain that I just wasn’t part of the group.”
Despite protesting her innocence, Chambers said she was detained for nearly 13 hours, searched and had DNA taken before she was released.
“(Police) looked at each other and then they asked ‘have you ever heard of Just Stop Oil? I said, ‘Up until today no’,” she said.
Read Related Also: Denise Milani’s Wiki Biography, Age, measurements, boyfriend
“They said ‘we have no further questions and we’re really sorry you’ve been caught up in this’.
“That was the point I started crying and got emotional.
“That was the first time anyone had been able to listen to my side of the story.”
Chambers lodged an official complaint with the Metropolitan Police, who in turn passed it onto Lincolnshire Police, as that is where the arresting officer is from.
Lincolnshire Police said they had no further action to take, according to the BBC.
A photo fit for a King: Royals release official coronation portraits
Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.
