It's a big day in Britain: King Charles III.
will be crowned.
On the fringes of the ceremony, protesters are arrested at a "Not my King" demo.
Update from May 6, 7:51 p.m .:
The London police on the day of the coronation of King Charles III.
a total of 52 people arrested.
The reason was crimes such as bodily harm, violations of public order, breach of the peace and "conspiracy to cause a public nuisance".
"All of these individuals remain in custody," the Metropolitan Police said.
The police also responded to criticism of the arrest of several anti-monarchy groups from the Republic group.
"We fully understand the public's concerns following the arrests we made this morning," said Chief of Operations Karen Findlay.
Protests are lawful and should be disruptive.
But the police must intervene if the demonstrations "become criminal and can cause serious disruption," Findlay said.
"It depends on the context.
The coronation is an event of a generation and that is an important aspect of our assessment.”
+
Handout photo taken by Labour4Republic shows an anti-monarchy protester being arrested in central London on Saturday.
© Labor For A Republic
Coronation of King Charles: Arrests at anti-monarchy demonstration - "shame"
Update from May 6, 12:25 p.m.:
Human Rights Watch has the arrests of monarchy opponents before the coronation of King Charles III.
sharply criticized.
"This is something you would expect in Moscow, but not in London," Yasmine Ahmed, head of the human rights organization's UK branch, said in a statement on Saturday.
“Peaceful protests allow people to hold those in power accountable.
It's something the UK government seems increasingly reluctant to do."
Civil rights activist Peter Tatchell tweeted that the police had erected huge barriers to cover banners critical of the monarchy.
“The right to peaceful protest is suppressed.
Shame!"
Arrests ahead of King Charles' coronation – Republic boss arrested too
Update from May 6, 11:18 a.m .:
A few minutes before the coronation of King Charles, some people from the Republic protest group were arrested by the police.
As
BBC
reports, there are six activists.
The Metropolitan Police have not yet confirmed the number.
Republic boss Graham Smith is said to be among those arrested.
Videos of the arrest are circulating on Twitter, including from the anti-monarchy movement
Alliance of European Republican Movements.
The organizers of the #notmyking protest have been arrested - police won't say what for pic.twitter.com/qu5JgNhCgF
— Alliance of European Republican Movements (@AERMorg) May 6, 2023
The broadcaster
Sky News
reported that the officials were disturbed by a megaphone they had brought with them.
The device could frighten the horses and also disturb the nearby Royals fans, the reasoning was.
The megaphone was not used before the arrest,
Sky News
continued.
Coronation of King Charles III: Opponents of the monarchy gather – major protest announced
First report from May 6th:
London – On Saturday (May 6th) the time has come: King Charles III.
and his wife Camilla are crowned in London at Westminster Abbey.
ARD, ZDF and RTL changed their TV programs especially for this.
For many, the anticipation is great, the crown and the monarchy are something very special.
But not all of the people who flock to central London are fans of the king and royals.
On Saturday morning, opponents of the monarchy gathered in Trafalgar Square, where the royal procession will pass.
A 28-year-old told the
German Press Agency (dpa)
that the state should not spend hundreds of millions of pounds on the ceremony while people in the country are starving and freezing.
Around three dozen demonstrators had already formed earlier in the morning.
The anti-monarchy group Republic had called for a major protest and announced up to 2,000 people.
They want to cause a stir with yellow flags that say "Not my king".
On a large banner they demanded: "Abolish the Monarchy" (Eng.: "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.
Coronation of King Charles: Police tolerance for disturbances 'low'
The group's chief executive, Graham Smith, had previously told the British newspaper
The Guardian
that the police would not be deterred
.
Police had announced ahead of the coronation: "Our tolerance for disturbance - whether through protest or otherwise - will be low.
We will crack down on anyone who intends to undermine this celebration.” A security expert says an attack on the king is “probable”.
Coronation of King Charles calls opponents of monarchy to the scene - "No place in a modern society"
Quite a few wanted to follow the call of the anti-monarchy group Republic.
The movement is demonstrating that the monarch should be replaced by an elected head of state.
Ryan King is also there.
The 40-year-old wants to use the historic day in London to join the demonstration while wearing the yellow T-shirt with the slogan "Abolish the monarchy".
"The monarchy has no place in modern society, it is outdated and undemocratic," says King.
About the anti-monarchy movement Republic
Anti-monarchists have long been a small splinter group in Britain.
But since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, their voices have been getting louder.
In numerous appearances, Charles III.
greeted by demonstrators with banners and the slogan "Not my king!" in recent months.
Republic leader Smith sees the glamorous coronation ceremony, with its glittering crowns and golden carriages, as a good opportunity to advance the cause of those opposed to the monarchy - especially at a time when many Britons are struggling with the rising cost of living.
The situation is preparing "fertile ground" for recruiting new members, says Smith.
"People are a lot more willing than they used to be to listen to us and get involved."
In order to get its message out to the people, the Republic group has increased its activities on the Internet and, for example, regularly sends out e-mails with information about the royal couple's public appointments and planned protests.
As a result, the "Not my king!" posters spread more and more.
Smith does not see the anti-monarchists as revolutionary.
The proposals are not radical but democratic, he said.
Instead of a hereditary monarchy, Republic wants a parliament composed exclusively of elected deputies, an elected head of state and a written constitution with a clear separation of powers.
Monarchy in Great Britain: Before the coronation of King Charles – doubts are growing
In London, the demonstrators are only a minority - similar to the climate group "Last Generation" in Germany, but which more and more people are joining.
But it cannot be overlooked in Great Britain that doubts about the monarchy are growing.
A survey showed this clearly:
58 percent of Britons currently support the monarchy.
In the 18 to 24 age group, only 32 percent are in favor of the monarchy, and 38 percent want an elected head of state.
The royals did not fare well in coronation polls either.
More than half spoke out against financing the coronation with tax money.
Two-thirds said they were not interested in the coronation ceremony.
Only recently was King Charles III.
visiting Germany.
In Hamburg he met music bands and put himself at the tap.
(mbr with dpa and AFP)
Rubric list image: © Labor For A Republic