London’s Metropolitan Police arrested a man outside Buckingham Palace on Tuesday after he allegedly threw suspected shotgun cartridges into the palace grounds, just days before the coronation of King Charles III.
Police attended the palace about 7pm local time and arrested the man on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. He also had suspicious bag that was destroyed in a controlled explosion, police said in a statement.
“There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public,” Chief Superintendent Joseph McDonald said in the statement.
The items the man allegedly threw into the palace ground are being analyzed, the statement added.
Neither King Charles nor Queen Camilla were at Buckingham Palace during Tuesday’s incident.
Police and security services are preparing for the coronation of King Charles on Saturday, attended by heads of state and global dignitaries. Authorities expect large crowds to line the streets of London to watch the historical event.
But since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, anti-monarchists have turned up to a number of royal engagements to voice their grievances against the institution.
As security tightens ahead of the coronation, parts of a controversial public order bill – which empowers British police to take stronger action against peaceful protesters – will come into effect.
From Wednesday, long-standing protest tactics such as locking on, where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings, could lead to a six-month prison sentence or “unlimited fine,” according to the Home Office.
CNN’s Tara John and Duarte Mendonca contributed to this report.
