The coronation of Charles III was an occasion for repression such as one would have expected from an old-time monarch, if the monarch was lacking in regal magnanimity.

About 20 Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested for wearing t-shirts and carrying small flags, which they planned to respectively expose and wave. Another 20 antimonarchists were arrested for taking nonviolence training in another city.

In all, 52 protesters and would-be protesters were arrested. A minister said this was justified because the UK's show had to look good.

In my view, those arrests showed off what's bad and getting worse in the UK: uniformed thugs have been authorized to draw the boundaries of lawful and unlawful protest.