updates
Opponents in Trafalgar Square
Leading anti-monarchy protester arrested
05/06/2023 10:31 am
Not all gathering in London today are pro-monarchy supporters. The republican movement calls for a demonstration on the day of the coronation – but the leader is arrested in the early hours of the morning.
The leader of Republic, the UK’s leading republican movement, has been arrested in London. This is reported by the British newspaper “Guardian”. Graham Smith had fetched drinks and placards for the demonstrators in Trafalgar Square, when he was arrested by the police. According to the newspaper, five other organizers of the anti-monarchist protest at the coronation of King Charles III. also fixed.
Charles III is crowned King of the United Kingdom – and you can watch it live on ntv. On Saturday, May 6th, we report from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m from the celebrations in London.
“The people are being held on suspicion of breach of the peace,” the police said. Four people had previously been arrested who had objects to chain with them. “You are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public disturbance,” it said. The authorities initially did not give an indication of how many people were arrested in total.
The police had announced a rigorous course against disturbers. The British government recently tightened the right to demonstrate drastically. A total of around 11,500 officers are deployed in London.
“Not my king”
Graham Smith is the chairman of Republic.
(Photo: picture alliance/dpa/ZUMA Press Wire)
Opponents of the monarchy gathered in Trafalgar Square, where the royal procession will pass. Hugo, 28, said the state should not spend hundreds of millions of pounds on the ceremony while people in the country are starving and freezing. Hugo admitted he was nervous about the number of Royals fans. Some friends and colleagues would also criticize his attitude.
Nearly three dozen demonstrators had gathered early in the morning. The Republic movement had called for a major protest and announced up to 2,000 people. They want to attract attention with yellow flags that say “Not my king”. On a large banner they demanded: “Abolish the Monarchy”. At first, however, the supporters of the Royals were clearly in the majority. Many wore hats and glasses in the national colors of Britain.
In London, the demonstrators were only a minority. Nationwide, however, doubts about the monarchy are growing. In one poll, more than half said they were against financing the coronation with taxpayers’ money, and in another survey, more than half said they didn’t care about the ceremony.