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‘Not my king’: British protesters out in London on coronation day

Saturday, 06 May 2023 11:36 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 06 May 2023 11:37 AM ]

Graham Smith at anti-monarchy protest in London. (Photo by Reuters)

Supporters and members of Britain's main anti-monarchy movement Republic have rallied in London before the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.

“I don’t believe in hereditarian monarchy and I think this is costing a huge amount of money when lots of people are struggling and the economy is falling apart, and the public services are awful and we need to invest in that and not in Charles and his big party,” protester Colin Dear, a British teacher told Reuters.

Republic, a group founded in 1983 that campaigns for an elected head of state, said it believes Charles' accession to the throne presents their best chance of ending the monarchy in the UK.

Graham Smith, its head, is one of several members was arrested while unloading a van.

The protesters gathered mainly in Trafalgar Square along the procession route next to a statue of Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, leading to a short-lived republic.

In an interview with Reuters last week Smith said expected over 1,000 people dressed in yellow shirts to join the protest on May 6, where they will hold up placards, and give speeches.

This is a disgrace - we are supposed to bow to pomp and privilege while millions go hungry? Solidarity with all demonstrating #NotMyKing #Republic Coronation live: arrests at anti-monarchy protests as crowds gather to see King Charles crowned https://t.co/rlYlOgVJvw
— Lindsey German (@LindseyAGerman) May 6, 2023

An environmental protest group, Just Stop Oil, claimed that around 20 of its demonstrators were detained, including a 33-year-old doctor who was planning to peacefully hold a sign, which read, JUST STOP OIL.

The amount of public money being spent on a “parade for someone who's already [King] when there's homeless people sitting on the steps of Westminster Abbey right now is crazy,” 30-year-old Harry Stratton told The Independent.

Stratton even claimed the police warned of shooting anyone who got in the way of the coronation.

Amid the cost-of-living crisis that is bringing misery for millions of Britons, there is criticism that the event should not have been publicly funded, and a question whether it will be money well spent.

A recent poll carried out by YouGov revealed that 52% of Londoners did not believe the Coronation should be paid for by taxpayers.

And another study by the National Center for Social Research (NatCen) revealed that only three out of 10 Britons believe that a monarchy is “very important”.

With the UK inflation waning at over 10 percent, the highest in four decades, the expensive ceremony comes at an approximate cost of a whopping $125 million.

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