The protester who famously threw eggs at King Charles when he visited York last year claims that he was among those arrested by the Metropolitan Police during the Coronation celebrations on Saturday.

Patrick Thelwell, 23, tweeted footage which shows him shouting "This is fascism! I am being arrested just for being here. What have I done!” as police restrain him in a struggling crowd.

 

In a thread on Twitter he added: “Today I was arrested at the Coronation on suspicion of carrying eggs.

“I was identified by facial recognition cameras, and snatched from the protest in handcuffs so tight they cut my skin.

“I was dragged though a crowd of monarchists baying for my blood.

“I was searched, and when they found nothing, was released after half an hour.

"The police had to escort me back through the monarchist crowds.”

Last month Thelwell, 23, who gave his address as Wentworth College at the University of York, was found guilty at York Magistrates Court of ‘threatening behaviour’ for his egg-throwing antics.

The court heard he had thrown 'at least five' eggs towards King Charles during a walkabout in York last year when the monarch visited to unveil a statue of his late mother.

Thelwell, who defended himself at the trial, posed outside court with a painted egg sign.

He tweeted earlier this month that he intended to go to London on May 6 to join other protesters in Trafalgar Square during the Coronation.

The Metropolitan Police came under heavy criticism from some quarters on Saturday after what campaign groups described as 'incredibly alarming' detentions during republican protests.

They said they 'understand public concern' after officers made 52 arrests throughout the King's Coronation day - including alleged affray, public nuisance and breach-of-the-peace offences.

Protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic, including its chief executive Graham Smith, were apprehended during the day - as well as demonstrators from Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising.

The Met said it received information that protesters were 'determined to disrupt' the coronation - including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements.

But campaigners said the protests were 'peaceful', describing the arrests as 'a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation'.

The force confirmed reports from Just Stop Oil that 13 demonstrators were detained on the Mall and six public nuisance arrests on St Martin's Lane following protests from Republic.

Three people were also apprehended in Soho, three at Wellington Arch and five on Whitehall on conspiracy to cause public nuisance, with another in Whitehall arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment.

The Met said a further 14 people were detained in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

The Press has not been able to independently confirm that Thelwell was among those arrested.