England Lockdown: Video of Arrest for ‘Sitting on Bench’ Was Staged, Say Police

Police maintain a presence at Clapham Common during an anti-lockdown demonstration in London on Jan. 9, 2021. Hollie Adams/Getty Images

A video showing a woman apparently arrested for sitting on a bench in violation of England’s lockdown rules over the weekend was planned and stage-managed, according to Dorset Police.

The footage, which has circulated widely online, shows police in Bournemouth leading away a woman in handcuffs as she says, “I was sitting on a bench.”