The coronation’s security operation is a British mix of the serious and the surreal
Tom Rogan
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A vast security operation is underway as the United Kingdom prepares for King Charles III‘s coronation on Saturday. In fine British tradition, we’re seeing a mix of the serious and the surreal.
An incident earlier this week combined both elements. It happened when a man approached the king’s Buckingham Palace residence and apparently requested he be allowed to talk to a soldier. When the request was refused, the man threw a number of shotgun shells over the palace fence. He was arrested without incident, and the police conducted a controlled detonation of the shells. The man has been remanded to a mental health facility.
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As the incident unfolded, however, a Conservative member of Parliament was hosting a news show from a temporary cabin just outside of the palace. Instructed by the police live on air that he had to evacuate, Jacob Rees-Mogg calmly told his viewers what was happening. The controlled detonation then echoed through the air, leading the rather posh parliamentarian to ask whether an evacuation was required. Rees-Mogg’s politeness, the amusing frustration of his co-host, and the distinct lack of concern by both men over the explosive noise were all extremely British (the video follows at the end of this article).
Other surreal security concerns involve the threat of protesters who may attempt to scare horses involved in the coronation procession, whether Prince Harry will be afforded police protection, and whether protests will continue to be allowed under a newly introduced protest law. That protest law strengthens police powers to detain those who disrupt public activities.
At the same time, there are the more traditional security concerns.
London’s Metropolitan Police, Britain’s lead police force for national security-related policing, is most focused on counterterrorism concerns. The threat environment includes revivalist dissident Irish separatist groups and a wide range of Islamist concerns. On the latter point, the police and Britain’s MI5 domestic security service will devote significant surveillance resources to prevent terrorist suspects who are under investigation from approaching central London. Come Saturday, the airspace will be closed, drone-denial devices will be deployed (hopefully to greater effect than those the Kremlin uses), and perhaps a number of proactive arrests will occur.
The police must also ensure the individual protection of the king, the queen, and the royal family with the security of visiting dignitaries. While the security teams for most of these dignitaries will happily defer to U.K. security protocols, others (such as the Secret Service detail assigned to Jill Biden) will insist on significant security enhancements. A notable difference between the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police’s Protection Command, for example, is the former’s insistence on maintaining visible close proximity to its protectees at all times.
To support this massive security envelope, around 10,000 police officers will be on duty. Limited numbers of British military special forces will also serve in a reactive counterassault capability.
At the lower end, the police must guard against nonviolent protests designed to disrupt the coronation or associated events. This centers on groups such as “Just Stop Oil,” which have become notorious in the U.K. for blocking roads and paralyzing traffic. The police must also be prepared to address any possible conflagration between anti-monarchy and pro-monarchy demonstrators.
Put simply, it’s a big task. But at least one thing can be taken for granted: the English weather.
The forecast is for rain.
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