Head of UK’s leading republican movement arrested at peaceful coronation protest
Daniel Boffey
Graham Smith had been collecting drinks and placards for demonstrators at Trafalgar Square when he was detained by police on the Strand in central London.
It is understood Smith was detained after bringing a megaphone to the demonstration. The Met police had tweeted earlier this week that they would have a “low tolerance” of those seeking to “undermine” the day.
The arrest, at around 7.30am, came as hundreds of anti-monarchist protesters had gathered at Trafalgar square with large flags and wearing yellow T-shirts as they looked to catch both the eye of the world’s media and a king on his coronation day.
Positioned by London’s oldest statue of Charles I, who lost his head to republicans nearly 400 years ago, those preparing to dissent as Charles III’s coronation procession passed them conceded they were “heavily outnumbered”.
As many as 2,000 protesters are expected to assemble below Nelson’s column by midday including representatives of the Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian republican movements
But the small huddle present early on Saturday morning, under an ominous grey sky, were surrounded by both those out to celebrate and the columns of police officers marching into their positions.
Maria Gomez, 39, from Boreham Wood, in Hertfordshire, said the protest, organised by the long-standing anti monarchy group, Republic, would be peaceful and she hoped to avoid clashes with those who had come to celebrate.
“Some were shouting ‘burn the yellow flags’ earlier but we have had intimidation before – there were eggs thrown in 2012,” she said. “People can get very angry with republicans.”
Outrageous scenes of cops arresting anti-monarchy protestors and stealing their placards
So we are not allowed to show public opposition to a bloke being crowned head of state for having been born into unimaginable wealth while ppl line up at food banks and schools fall apart pic.twitter.com/klkSjLMAmL
— Shelly Asquith (@ShellyAsquith) May 6, 2023
Key events
The organisation Republic have also tweeted out photographs of the arrest, writing:
Organisers of the #NotMyKing protest have been arrested – police won’t say what for. So much for the right to peaceful protest.
Six people reportedly arrested at anti-monarchy demo in Trafalgar Square
Republic activist Luke Whiting, 26, told the PA news agency: “Six Republic members have been arrested including the CEO as the demonstration was starting at the edge of Trafalgar Square.
“It is unclear why, potentially it is because one of them was carrying a megaphone.
“It is unclear exactly whether the police are using these new powers and whether they are misusing them to stop protest happening.”
The arrested protesters have found an unlikely ally on social media in the shape of Talk TV’s Julia Hartley-Brewer.
Here are some more pictures via Daniel Boffey at the scene of the arrest, which appear to show police confiscating signs that were to be used for a peaceful protest in Trafalgar Square.
Head of UK’s leading republican movement arrested at peaceful coronation protest
Daniel Boffey
Graham Smith had been collecting drinks and placards for demonstrators at Trafalgar Square when he was detained by police on the Strand in central London.
It is understood Smith was detained after bringing a megaphone to the demonstration. The Met police had tweeted earlier this week that they would have a “low tolerance” of those seeking to “undermine” the day.
The arrest, at around 7.30am, came as hundreds of anti-monarchist protesters had gathered at Trafalgar square with large flags and wearing yellow T-shirts as they looked to catch both the eye of the world’s media and a king on his coronation day.
Positioned by London’s oldest statue of Charles I, who lost his head to republicans nearly 400 years ago, those preparing to dissent as Charles III’s coronation procession passed them conceded they were “heavily outnumbered”.
As many as 2,000 protesters are expected to assemble below Nelson’s column by midday including representatives of the Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian republican movements
But the small huddle present early on Saturday morning, under an ominous grey sky, were surrounded by both those out to celebrate and the columns of police officers marching into their positions.
Maria Gomez, 39, from Boreham Wood, in Hertfordshire, said the protest, organised by the long-standing anti monarchy group, Republic, would be peaceful and she hoped to avoid clashes with those who had come to celebrate.
“Some were shouting ‘burn the yellow flags’ earlier but we have had intimidation before – there were eggs thrown in 2012,” she said. “People can get very angry with republicans.”
Outrageous scenes of cops arresting anti-monarchy protestors and stealing their placards
So we are not allowed to show public opposition to a bloke being crowned head of state for having been born into unimaginable wealth while ppl line up at food banks and schools fall apart pic.twitter.com/klkSjLMAmL
— Shelly Asquith (@ShellyAsquith) May 6, 2023
Alexandra Topping
Alexandra Topping is in the crowds for the Guardian this morning, and she reports:
It is difficult to convey just how utterly rammed the Mall is, and has been, since around 6am this morning.
People are wearing union flag bowler hats, kids are dressed as little kings and queens and the atmosphere is one of good tempered resignation to the long wait ahead. There is a lot of chat about how they got to their spot, and how they will get out and snacks. The British love a bit of logistics chat, and of course waiting patiently is the nation’s favourite pastime.
The forecast rain is yet to arrive and people are generally in a good mood, despite the early starts and the promise of biblical downpours in a few hours time.
That doesn’t worry Alison Marshall, who has travelled from Bolton with her two kids, her sister and her sister’s children.
“We’re used to rain,” she says. “We’ve got ponchos.”
The family travelled down from the north straight after school yesterday, and have been at their spot since before it got light.
“I think being in the north, we don’t see this type of thing every day, we don’t have it around,” she says. “I just think it’s good to keep these traditions alive and just pass it on to your children and hopefully they’ll remember it for the rest of their lives.”
Her son Ben, a good four hours before the first procession is about to start already looks a little fed up. “I’m tired,” he says. “And I’ve had a biscuit for my breakfast.” Is this a good experience? “Yes,” he says. “It’s better than the last one.”
The “last one” was The Queue – the family decided on a whim to travel down to pay their respects to the late Queen, and queue up to pass by her coffin. They arrived in the queue at midday, and got in at two in the morning – 14 hours later.
“That was a hard one,” says Alison, before, inexplicably, adding: “And at the end of that we all made the promise that we’d come back today.”
Her 15 year old daughter FFion says it’s worth it to feel part of history, which she loves.
“I quite enjoyed it last time even though it was 14 hours,” she says. “So when my mum asked, do I want to do this with my cousins? I was like ‘Yeah, go on then’. “We’ve been pretty excited over the past week.”
What do her pals back home think? “They think I’m crazy,” she admits.
FFion, Alison and Ben Marshall have travelled down from Bolton for the #Coronation. “We wanted to be part of history,” says Alison. Who, knowing a thing or two about rain, has packed raincoats AND ponchos pic.twitter.com/iRP646eUHy
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) May 6, 2023
More than 5,000 armed forces personnel travelled by train to London Waterloo before marching off to take part in the coronation. PA report Network Rail said it was the biggest movement of military personnel on Britain’s railways since Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965.
Anti-monarchy protesters have gathered at Trafalgar Square, near where the coronation procession will pass as it heads from the Mall to Westminster Abbey.
Quickly, before events unfold or I start giving away the answer with my endless coronation trivia, there is still time to do the coronation quiz that I set yesterday. Judging from the results my friends were posting on Facebook yesterday, I reckon that 12/20 is a decent score.
Divisive people’s oath reportedly ‘toned down’ after criticism
In a break with tradition, for the first time at a coronation, people are being asked to swear their allegiance to the king in public as part of the ceremony, although the format has been tweaked slightly from what was first announced.
PA’s court correspondent Tony Jones reports that Charles reportedly approved the change which came after a string of commentators criticised the new addition as divisive.
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will now “invite” a show of support from the congregation rather than a “call” to those in the Abbey and elsewhere to swear allegiance to the King.
On Friday it had seemed like Charles might be trying to distance himself from this innovation, with his friend Jonathan Dimbleby telling BBC radio that the new king finds the idea of people paying homage to him “abhorrent”.
Dimbleby said “I don’t know for certain but it would seem to me that this was an initiative by the archbishop who, as we know, is strongly evangelical, who thought it would be a good thing to give everyone a chance to pay that homage. I think it was well-intentioned and rather ill-advised.”
Following Dimbleby’s comments, Lambeth Palace, archbishop’s Justin Welby’s office, repeated its insistence that all elements in the coronation service were drawn up in close consultation with Buckingham Palace. It would not be the first time that a monarch in England has complained about a turbulent priest.
The declaration was intended to replace the homage of peers, which is quite a strange part of the ceremony in itself. Formerly hereditary peers knelt to pay homage to the monarch, before touching the crown and kissing his or her right cheek.
We asked Guardian readers earlier this week what they thought about the new people’s oath though, and … well …
Read more here: ‘You must be joking’: readers on swearing oath of allegiance on King Charles’s coronation
The first guests have begun to arrive and start taking their places at Westminster Abbey. Given that it isn’t even 8am yet in London, and the service doesn’t start until 11am, that is quite a lot of small talk to make.
Archbishop of Canterbury: coronation will be celebration of ‘all our wonderful diversity’
The archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said that today’s coronation serves as “a powerful reflection and celebration of who we are today, in all our wonderful diversity”.
“The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla promises to be a beautiful, joyful and historic occasion,” the archbishop said.
“People can certainly expect to be struck by the majesty and sacred wonder of the service, but also to be invited to pause and reflect.
“To reflect on our past, our future and, as we pray for our new sovereign, on our own lives and how we too are called to serve others.
“This service reaches deep into our nation’s Christian history. From the ancient and sacred act of anointing monarchs, to the use of the sixth-century St Augustine Gospels, the service will link us in a profound way with our national story”.
The archbishop added: “But this is not simply history: I hope the service offers people an opportunity to hear the living words of God, which bring good news to every person in every generation.
“I also hope and pray that the coronation will serve as a powerful reflection and celebration of who we are today, in all our wonderful diversity.
“So I will be praying that everyone who shares in this service – in the Abbey, across the country and beyond – will find ancient wisdom and new hope.
“I pray that it inspires us all, like the King and Queen, to live our lives in service to others.”
Since Henry VIII’s schism with Rome, the coronation has either been seen as a forceful assertion of the Protestant faith of the monarch, or a reassertion of Catholicism in the realm.
PA notes that representatives from other faith communities will play an active role in the coronation of a British sovereign for what is said to be the first time.
When the regalia is presented to Charles – Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers will take part, handing over items which do not have Christian meaning or symbolism.
Here are some pictures of the last-minute preparatory work that has been carried out this morning to get the coronation show on the road.
I know, I know. There is a significant chunk of Guardian readers who tell us that we should do less coverage of the monarchy. In defence of this live blog, our stats tell us that the royal coverage we do produce is always deeply read both at scale and at length.
But as a reminder, in our apps and on our website you can always hide any of the containers on the front, so if you do want to have a coronation-free Guardian experience today, just hit the “Hide” button on the front page.
In the app, you are looking for the big ‘X’.
I presume, given that you must have clicked or tapped on the live blog to get here, that I am preaching to the converted, but I thought I should make it clear that the option is there.
As an alternative, you could try this: Māori artist’s web plugin replaces king’s coronation with Indigenous news
