Police have admitted to acting unlawfully in the arrest of Symon Hill, a trainee Baptist minister who questioned King Charles III’s accession at a proclamation ceremony in 2022. After a two-and-a-half-year legal battle, Hill has been awarded £2,500 in compensation by Thames Valley Police.
Arrest for Questioning the Monarchy
On September 11, 2022, just three days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Hill was walking home from church in Oxford when he encountered a procession announcing King Charles as the new monarch. When officials proclaimed Charles as “our only king and rightful liege lord,” Hill called out:
“Who elected him?”
Some in the crowd told him to be quiet, but Hill responded that a head of state should not be imposed without public consent.
At that point, three security guards intervened and ordered him to stop. Hill argued back, and several police officers “swooped in,” handcuffing him and leading him away. Passersby questioned why he was being detained simply for expressing an opinion.
Legal Battle & Police Admission of Wrongdoing
Hill was later charged under the Public Order Act for “threatening or abusive words or behaviour,” but the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in January 2023 due to lack of evidence.
With support from Liberty, a civil rights organization, Hill pursued legal action against the police. After two and a half years, Thames Valley Police admitted they acted unlawfully and agreed to compensate Hill with £2,500.
Hill Condemns Anti-Protest Laws
Hill, now a chaplain at Aston University, described his ordeal as “bizarre” and emphasized that protesting the monarchy is not a crime.
“This is about the rights of all people to dissent, to express their views, and to refuse to bow down. With vague anti-protest laws, anyone could be arrested simply for speaking their mind in public.”
Calls for Change in Anti-Protest Legislation
Katy Watts, a lawyer at Liberty, said:
“A functioning democracy relies on the ability to voice different opinions. Symon’s wrongful arrest shows how anti-protest laws are shutting down free expression. We need urgent reform to prevent future abuses.”
Police Response
Thames Valley Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs acknowledged the wrongful arrest, stating:
“We have accepted that the grounds for arrest were unlawful. Public order operations are critical, and we will use this case to shape future responses.”
The case has renewed debate over anti-protest laws in the UK, with campaigners warning they could erode fundamental democratic freedoms.
