- Anti-monarchy organizers have been detained ahead of King Charles' coronation, according to reports.
- Protests along the king's procession route were organized by anti-monarchy group Republic.
The leader of a British anti-monarchy movement and five other organizers of a protest at King Charles' coronation have been arrested along the procession route in central London ahead of the event on Saturday morning.
The anti-monarchy group Republic confirmed the arrests statement shared on Twitter on Saturday, adding: "Hundreds of placards were seized. Is this democracy?" Footage posted by Republic on Twitter also shows police responding to questioning about the arrests saying, "They are under arrest, end of."
The chief executive of the anti-monarchist group, Graham Smith, was detained at Trafalgar Square, the site of the protest along the king's procession route, The Guardian reports.
Authorities said they made a "number of arrests" in the area of Carlton House Terrace, in a statement posted on the Metropolitan Police Twitter account on Saturday. They are being held on "suspicion of breaching the peace" and four others were detained "on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance," the statement said.
The Metropolitan Police did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment
Photographs appear to show protesters dressed in yellow and holding signs reading "This country is ours" and "Not my king" in the hours leading up to the coronation.
Security is high across London as the celebrations get underway. Earlier this week, the police said they would have a low tolerance for any disruptions on the day of the ceremony.
More than 1,500 protesters plan to gather alongside well-wishers as Charles' coach travels through the streets of London, according to the Associated Press.
The coronation is "a celebration of a corrupt institution. And it is a celebration of one man taking a job that he has not earned," Smith said earlier this week.