Anti-monarchist arrests only bolster the argument for a republic

Armed police in central London


Enforcing a particular view to support the power of the state is a bad look. And that kind of action often undermines the very thing it is meant to defend. Sadly, nobody told the British police. Though it’s worth asking if it would have made any difference.

In the week following the Queen’s death, and as Charles was proclaimed our new ‘ruler’, a number of arrests were made. And they were for what are, objectively, fairly innocuous acts.

‘Who elected him?’

On 11 September, the Sunday after the queen’s death, a woman was arrested in Edinburgh after up holding a sign protesting the monarch and imperialism. Police said she had committed a breach of the peace as the Queen’s coffin was brought into the city. She was later charged.

Then on Tuesday Symon Hill, a peace activist renowned for his run in with Piers Morgan over the white poppy, was arrested in Oxford.

He had merely asked out loud in a public street who elected King Charles.

Sick old man

Also in Scotland, a young man named Rory was arrested for heckling Prince Andrew. The controversial Royal was stripped of public duties over allegations about his relationship to the late paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Rory had shouted “You’re a sick old man” at Andrew before being dragged away by police. He was also charged. Rory said he thought it was wrong that Andrew had been allowed to get away with what he had been accused of:

While in London, an officer threatened barrister Paul Powlesland with arrest for holding a blank sign.

Powlesland later appeared on TV explaining his views. He said that while he hadn’t been a republican before, he certainly was one now.

State-enforced grief

Even confirmed republicans were surprised at how badly a bit of minor, individual protest was handled. One person pointed out that this undermined the idea of the Royals having only symbolic power:

Another pointed out that the endless coverage of the death and succession made republicanism appear to be a view held by a tiny minority.

 

In truth, up to 31 percent of 18 to 24 years olds support the idea of an elected head of state.

Naturally, comparisons were made with authoritarian regimes like North Korea:

While the UK is increasingly leaning towards fascism, North Korea is objectively more authoritarian in a much more profound and literal way. For now, at least.

Normal Island

Republicanism is a legitimate point of view. And it is legitimate to express it at any time. And there is no time more appropriate than during the succession of a new king. The reaction on both social media and by the state, to what has been mild protest, tells a story.

That story is of a country which likes to laud its version of democracy while doing absolutely nothing to suggest it has any notion of the concept. And in doing so, it makes the case for a republic on behalf of those who want it.

Featured image via Wikimedia Commons/Stanislav Koslovskiy, cropped to 770 x 403px, licenced under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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  • Show Comments

    1. The ridiculous pantomime of the Royal Funeral and the “mediaeval” ritual of the proclamation have been the best recruiting sergeants for Republicanism in my memory.
      Perhaps now – We can have an honest, grown-up debate about the relevance of a feudal, anti-democratic anachronism is a so-called democratic state.
      They appear to be having this debate in Jamaica.
      I’m sure that many more former-colonies will follow.
      We should remind them all that the first colony of the British State was England.
      That explains a lot.

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    3. So, the police have been arresting people under the Public Order Act because someone might be offended. The completely unnecessary long ‘mourning period’ and massive disruption of Britain over the sad death of a 96 year only lady of natural causes greatly offends me. Who are the police going to arrest about that!

      Pension of these people that have been gaslighting the British people for over 300 years and establish a Democratic Republic now! Hire actors to fill the few vacant roles that the tourists like to see, open all the castles, palaces, parks and mansions to the public. Some could become hotels or resorts and the remainder museums.

      The only worthy Windsors are Harry and Meghan who have decided not to be gaslighters.

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    4. Those charged with a Public Order offence on the basis that they will offend someone is so ridiculous as to be worthy of a Monty Python sketch.
      When the EDL or whatever racists call themselves these day appear in the street why are they not arrested as they certainly offend my sense of Human Rights in the extreme.
      Do not the Police have the right to the Nelsonian eye or problems of hearing for that matter.

      We either have free speech or we do not and if it is the latter then we are well down the path to Fascism. That, of course, is where Starmer and co are to be found!

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