'Something you would see in Moscow' - Protesters arrested in London

Dozens of people were arrested on Saturday during the Coronation of King Charles III, including the head of a prominent anti-monarchy group.

Scotland Yard and the London Metropolitan Police have been accused of an “incredibly alarming” attack on the public's right to protests after 52 arrests were made during the proceedings on Saturday, including the arrest of Graham Smith, the chief executive of the anti-monarchist campaign group, Republic.

Of the 52 arrests in London on Saturday, 32 were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

Police say the arrests were made under the provision to prevent disruption of the coronation, including the use of whistles to disorientate horses partaking in the King's Coronation Procession. 

Footage of the arrests, which show London Police arresting multiple people in "Not My King" t-shirts, has been labeled "alarming" by human rights groups. 

"The reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly alarming," said Yasmine Ahmed, the director of Human Rights Watch UK.

"This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London." 

Hundreds of yellow-wearing protesters gathered in central London on Saturday, chanting "down with the Crown," "don't talk to the police" and "get a real job," as support for the monarchy continues to decline in the United Kingdom. 

Protests of the coronation were not limited to the British capital. Over 300 protestors gathered in Cardiff City Center, while supporters of Scottish independence chanted anti-monarchy songs in Glasgow city center.

The British National Anthem, "God Save The King," was played ahead of English Premier League soccer matches across the country. In Liverpool, the anthem was heavily booed by home supporters, with fans chanting “F**k the royal family, feed the poor.”

More than one-third of British adults, about 36 percent, say their opinion of the royal family has become more negative than it was 10 years ago, according to polling company Savanta. 

A recent CNN poll found that more than half of UK adults younger than 25 say that they don’t consider the royal family a "good source of leadership and guidance."