The English republicans promise protests when King Charles III is crowned and affirm that the United Kingdom “needs a debate on the future of the monarchy”, while lamenting its silence in recent days.
“We are saddened to hear the news of the queen’s death and wish to express our condolences to the royal family. There will be plenty of time to discuss the future of the monarchy. For now, we must respect the personal loss of the family.” wrote what is considered the largest republican organization in the United Kingdom, Republic, in a statement released on September 8, the day Elizabeth II died, at the age of 96, after 70 years of reign.
But since that day, República has issued three more communiqués, calling for a debate on the monarchy, announcing protests for the date of the coronation of the new monarch (not yet scheduled) and condemning the arrest and reprimands by the police of the protesters. anti. -monarchy in the days following the death of Elizabeth II.
“Great Britain needs a debate on the future of the monarchy,” reads a statement issued by the organization on September 10, the day of the official proclamation of Charles III as King of England, and adds that “the proclamation of a new king is an affront.” to democracy,” the note says.
The organization highlights that the United Kingdom has changed completely since 1952, when Elizabeth II came to the throne, and that the first succession to the British crown in 70 years, in a “modern and democratic society”, the head of state “cannot simply assume the role of without debate or without questioning its legitimacy”.
The organization justified the positions adopted after the first statement on September 8 because the death of Isabel II had a different nature from the proclamation of a new head of state, which is a “political act” and a “constitutional act”, “the against millions of people.
“Asking questions about the nature of this position and the role of the monarchy at this time is inevitable,” defends Republic, which acknowledges that “the level of public support” for the monarchy was, “largely, driven by the reign of Queen” Elizabeth II. , although it has “fallen sharply in recent years”.
However, “the first succession in the modern democratic era, the first succession since the advent of the Internet, and the social and political tectonic shifts of the past 70 years must raise serious questions about how we will govern ourselves in the future,” insists the organization, who wants to see the debate to “start now”.
Republic also condemned the arrests and the behavior of the police towards the republican protesters, warning of the risk of endangering freedom of expression in the United Kingdom, and underlined how the media have been these days debating the future of the monarchy without listening. those who defend their end.
“We don’t expect Republican voices to be heard in the coverage of the queen’s death, but the coverage of Charles’ ascension to the throne is a very different matter,” read a Sept. 12 Republic statement.
“Support for the monarchy has dropped dramatically in recent years, from 75% to 60%, with more than one in four people wanting its abolition. Many millions more simply have no say in the matter, but the complexity of opinions is not reflected in the media coverage,” he adds.
The organization revealed in its communiqués that it plans to “organize demonstrations at the time of the coronation” of Carlos III, which it hopes can advance peacefully.
“Carlos could have inherited the Crown, but he did not inherit the respect and deference that his mother had,” emphasizes República, who hopes that the movement to abolish the monarchy “will grow rapidly in the coming years.”
On Monday, London police recognized the right to demonstrate against the monarchy after video showed officers escorting a protester and arrests in other parts of the UK since Elizabeth II’s death.
“Citizens have the full right to demonstrate, so we have made it clear to all the agents involved in the extraordinary police operation that is currently being carried out and we will continue to do so,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
The statement was issued late Monday in response to a video of officers escorting a protester outside parliament, where King Charles III was due to receive condolences on the death of his mother in the morning.
Two protesters held signs reading “Not my king”, “Abolish the monarchy” and “End feudalism” on the pavement outside the Palace of Westminster, the parliament building.
In Scotland on Sunday, a woman was arrested for disorderly conduct holding a sign reading “Damn Imperialism, Abolish Monarchy” moments before the public proclamation of the new king, to cheers from others.
Also in Edinburgh on Monday, a man was kidnapped by police from the crowd watching Elizabeth II’s funeral procession when he called Prince Andrew a “disgusting old man” who paid millions of euros in the US to avoid trial for sexual abuse of a minor.
In Oxford, central England, a 45-year-old activist was briefly detained after shouting “Who elected him?” also during a public proclamation of the king.
According to a survey published on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the reign in June by the YouGov institute, 62% of Britons believe that the country should remain a monarchy and 22% said they prefer an elected head of state.
Source: TSF
