A mourner has been arrested after causing a “disturbance” as Queen Elizabeth lies in state.
Man arrested after causing a disturbance at Westminster Hall
Thousands of people are currently queueing up to pay their respects to Her Late Majesty – who passed away on 8 September at the age of 96 following a 70-year reign – as she lays in a coffin at Westminster Hall but police confirmed on Friday (16.09.22) evening that a man was being held in custody after allegedly defying the Public Order Act.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Around 10pm on Friday 16 September, officers from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command detained a man in Westminster Hall following a disturbance. He was arrested for an offence under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody.”
Following the incident, a spokesman for Parliament confirmed that they were “aware” of the alleged disturbance, noting that the trespasser had been removed from the hall after allegedly moving out of the queue and proceedings had resumed with “minimal disruption.”
The spokesperson said: “We’re aware of an incident in Westminster Hall, in which a member of the public moved out of the queue and towards the catafalque. They have now been removed from the hall and the queue restarted with minimal disruption.”
A live stream of the event had to be cut out for around 15 minutes while organisers dealt with the incident, with reports claiming that the man had attempted to lift the flag which covers the monarch’s coffin.
An onlooker told The Sun: “Someone got up to the coffin, grabbed the flag, and pulled it upwards. They picked up the bottom and wafted it, almost to see what was underneath. It happened so fast!”
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