Ahead of and during King Charles III’s coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, the phrase ‘Not My King’ was trending on social media.
On Saturday, UK police arrested key members of the anti-monarchy group Republic as they prepared to demonstrate along the procession route for the coronation.
‘Not my king’ protests
As reported by sources at London’s Trafalgar Square, six protest organisers were arrested and hundreds of placards have been confiscated.
Among those arrested was Republic’s chief executive, Graham Smit.
Bystanders were chanting ‘Free Graham Smith’, countered by protesters singing ‘God Save The King’ while waving UK flags.
No reason provided for arrests
The Alliance of European Republican Movements’ camera crew questioned a senior police officer about the group’s detainment.
The officer curtly responded, “They’re under arrest. End of, okay?” before walking away. The exchange was captured on video and shared on social media.
Watch: Not My King protest arrests
Last week, Smith told reporters, “We certainly have no plans to disrupt the actual procession.”
He said displaying placards would demonstrate “in front of the world’s press that we are not a country of loyalists, that there is a growing opposition.”
Monarchy or no monarchy?
According to an iTV poll, 52% of participants support having a monarchy. By age group, this translates to 79% of those above the age of 65.
The report shows 53% of the middle-aged group still support having a monarchy, and only 39% of those under the age of 34.
Despite King Charles’ efforts to reach the youth, this segment of the population (aged 18 to 34) remains his greatest challenge.
In a separate incident on Saturday, 13 members of the group Just Stop Oil were arrested and handcuffed by police on The Mall between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
The Metropolitan police confirmed only seven arrests early Saturday “on suspicion of offences including breaching the peace and conspiracy to cause public nuisance close to the coronation.”
