While the Mall, TV news and daily papers were full of the one million people waving flags another story was unfolding. Across the country police cancelled alternative jubilee events, mounted large operations to try and stop people partying and made mass 'preventative' arrests to stifle dissent - many events however went ahead as planned.

In London police arrested around 40 people in connection with an anti-monarchy protest planned for Tower Hill, removing them from the streets and even out of pubs, before detaining some on a double decker bus and then taking them to different police stations. The arrests were apparently to 'prevent a breach of the peace' and were 'intelligence led'.
Reports 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5

A similar pattern was seen in Aberdeen where police followed anti-monarchy campaigners and confiscated their leaflets , while in Hereford an anti-monarchy gig was cancelled on the request of the police. A few days later on the 6th June a group of anarchists were arrested near Alexandra Palace where the queen was visiting, detained in vehicles and driven around until the queen had finished her engagement, before then being released. One campaigner said "It was just like the police stifling the chinese protestors the other year, then there was a huge public outcry, we don't expect one over this, so much for our rights in this country."

Meanwhile the police mounted a large operation to prevent an alternative Jubilee free festival commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the Castlemorton free festival which was widely thought to have triggered the much hated Criminal Justice Act. With helicopters, dogs, and roadblocks over a 5 mile area they failed to stop the Feeling of Life party going ahead on Stert Breach near Bristol. Thousands of people attended the festival which ran for over 4 days.

More evidence that the free party / festival scene is alive and well came from the number of other parties that went ahead in other parts of the country including Bracknall Forest, Norfolk, Mid Wales, Peterborough, the south coast and cornwall. An anti-jubillee graffiti party celebrating the work of artist Banksy went ahead in London on fri 31st may, although the police prevented the sound system from starting and a large mural portraying the queen as chimp complete with crown was whitewashed over early the next morning (report).