A 15ft dinosaur known as “Chuck the Rex” was the centrepiece of a rally calling for the abolition of the monarchy forward of the primary anniversary of King Charles’s coronation.
Will probably be a yr for the reason that king’s coronation on Monday, when gun salutes throughout the capital will commemorate his reign.
About 100 folks attended Sunday’s rally in Trafalgar Sq. in central London, which was organised by the marketing campaign group Republic, alongside parallel occasions in Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Protesters chanted “Abdicate, abdicate” in entrance of two massive yellow banners that learn “Abolish the monarchy” and “Change the nation for good.”
Graham Smith, the chief government of Republic, stated the group had introduced the big puppet dinosaur to signify the anachronism of monarchy. “The fossilised stays needs to be in a museum the place we are able to take a look at it after which we are able to get pleasure from really residing in a contemporary democracy,” he stated.
Smith and different Republic members had been arrested final yr for collaborating in a pre-agreed protest on the day of the coronation. Smith was detained for 14 hours and launched a authorized motion in opposition to the Metropolitan police final yr.
He advised the gang the motion was persevering with. “We have to problem the monarchy and the royals as a result of it’s a corrupt establishment – they’re a lazy folks, they haven’t earned their place they usually must be kicked out,” he stated.
He continued: “We would like a structure and a system and a democracy that truly celebrates our easiest ideas and values. This received’t simply be a matter of precept, it can change the best way we govern ourselves and due to this fact change the society and the best way that we see ourselves, not as topics however as residents.”
Smith stated the general public was “pressured to compromise our values and ideas” and in contrast the scrutiny of politicians to that of the monarchy.
“We criticise MPs for spending hundreds of kilos on second properties … however we don’t criticise [Prince] William for spending £4.5m of our cash on doing up not his second house, or his third house, however his fourth,” he stated.
Smith advised the Guardian that the primary yr of Charles’s reign had seen a surge in curiosity within the concept of abolishing the monarchy.
“We’ve got grown enormously within the final 12 months, we’ve obtained more cash, extra members, extra activists. There’s no method we might have organised this two years in the past. Charles just isn’t the queen [Elizabeth]. I imply, the queen was the monarchy for lots of people.”
Whereas polling revealed on Sunday advised a rise in help for King Charles, it additionally indicated an increase in folks believing the UK ought to turn into a republic.
Ipsos polling for the Mail on Sunday discovered 56% consider Charles is doing job as king, up from 49% final yr. It additionally discovered that 28% of individuals supported Britain changing into a republic, in comparison with 22% 4 months earlier than Queen Elizabeth’s loss of life in 2023.
The human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who has supported Republic for many years, was one of many audio system. He advised the Guardian: “Monarchy symbolises elitism, privilege and deference. It’s completely incompatible with a contemporary Twenty first-century democracy.
“The royals have between them 23 palaces and residences, 700 servants and a mixed private wealth of £2bn.”
Tatchell stated that help for the monarchy was “slipping”, pointing to the keenness for republicanism amongst younger folks. The most recent Ipsos polling discovered a 3rd of younger folks stated it “can be higher” if the monarchy was abolished, in contrast with only one in six of older folks.
Shortly after the rally, the archbishop of Canterbury praised King Charles’s “sense of responsibility” as he returned to public occasions following his most cancers prognosis.
In a press release launched to coincide with the anniversary of the coronation, Justin Welby stated it had been “the privilege of a lifetime” to anoint the king and queen within the ceremony.
The king attended three occasions final week as he resumed royal engagements with the general public. His first was assembly most cancers specialists and sufferers receiving chemotherapy at College School hospital’s most cancers centre in London.
Reflecting on Charles’s dealing with of his ailing well being, Welby stated: “The previous yr has offered the king with some nice private challenges. However I’ve been struck by his continued sense of responsibility, having not too long ago returned to royal engagements following therapy.
“His openness in sharing his situation has been attribute of his willingness to assist and help others.”