Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Police officers stop a protester as anti-lockdown demonstrators march in central London. Photo: Tayfun Salci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
London police arrested at least 155 people during protests against coronavirus lockdown measures Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said.
Driving the news: Protesters, including many who were not wearing masks, marched through parts of London, chanting "freedom" and holding signs that read: "no more lockdowns," per Sky News. The country has been under a national lockdown since Nov. 5.
- The U.K. will impose a strengthened version of an earlier three-tiered system of local restrictions to curb COVID-19 when the lockdown ends Dec. 2, officials announced last week.
- Most of the country, including London, will be in the two highest tiers, meaning some 55 million people will continue to face strict measures, including a ban on mixing with other households while indoors, per BBC.
What they're saying: "More than 150 arrests were made while policing today's protest in London. We made it very clear how we would police this event, warning those looking to attend that they risked facing enforcement action," the Metropolitan Police tweeted.
- Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said: “This was a challenging day for Met, City of London and British Transport Police officers and I would like to thank them for the professionalism they have shown throughout the day."
- The Met said in a statement on Friday that protests were "not currently a permitted exemption to the prohibition on gatherings under the current Coronavirus regulations."
- “This type of behaviour not only breaks the law, it also risks spreading the virus between multiple areas of the country," Stuart Bell added.
Some civil liberties groups called the Met statement a "chilling misrepresentation of the law that fails to respect both the Coronavirus Regulations currently in place and fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression."
The big picture: The U.K. recorded 15,871 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, down from 16,022 reported a day earlier.
- The country recorded 479 deaths on Saturday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new comments and an updated number of arrests from the Metropolitan Police.