LONDON — At least 25 anti-monarchy activists and other protesters were killed on the morning of King Charles III’s coronation. arrested on Saturday, a reminder that not everyone in the UK has been swept away by the royal admiration that has dominated television screens.
Six people from anti-royalist campaign group Republic and 19 people from environmental campaigner Just Stop Oil have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police in central London, near where Charles was to be crowned, according to the groups.
For freedom of expression campaigners and some viewers, it was a chilling scene, even on a day when polls and anecdotes suggest that apathy, rather than royal or anti-monarchical zeal, is the prevailing mood in Britain.
Hours earlier, the London Metropolitan Police tweeted it would “crack down on anyone who intends to undermine this celebration.” This comes on the back of the UK’s ruling Conservatives, who have passed legislation restricting demonstrations they see as “disruptive”.
“Is this democracy?” tweeted Republic, the anti-monarchy campaign group whose members were arrested. “So much for the right to protest peacefully #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonarchy.”
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On Saturday, The police announced this via Twitter that a group of protesters had been arrested on suspicion of “trespassing on the peace”, another on “conspiracy to incite public nuisance” and a third of “possession of objects to cause crime”. Police said they also seized lock-on devices that protesters use to lock themselves to infrastructure.
The Metropolitan Police, facing a crisis of public confidence after an official report in March found they were institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic, declined to give further details about the arrests.
“While everyone’s focus is on a billionaire with a shiny hat, the government signs plans to destroy the lives of millions of ordinary people,” said a spokesman for Just Stop Oil, whose disruptive direct actions range from blocking oil refineries to itself stick to the frames of valuable works of art.
“We will continue to do everything nonviolently possible to shut down new oil and gas,” spokesman Mel Carrington said in an email.
Police arrest a Just Stop Oil activist at the coronation. Yara Nardi/Getty Images
One of the arrested activists, Kush Naker, 33, an infectious diseases doctor from London, said: “I never thought in my life that I would be afraid that the police would arrest me for protesting peacefully in the UK. But that is the state we are in now.”
Soon “North Korea” was trending on British Twitter, with people comparing Britain’s sluggishness to the autocratic communist country.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, which is generally less royalist than England, there are thousands of supporters of Scottish independence marched through the streets of Glasgowsome of them chanted, “You can push your coronation on your A—.”
These hard-core anti-royalists are not representative of the majority of modern Britain. But according to recent polls, it’s not the fervent monarchists who lined the avenue leading to Buckingham Palace and cheered Charles and Queen Camilla as they rode past in a golden carriage.
The prevailing mood seems to be one of apathy.
Pollster YouGov conducted a weighted survey of 3,000 adults last month and found that 35% of respondents said the coronation was “not very important” to them – and 29% said they “didn’t care at all”. Meanwhile, overall support for the monarchy “has fallen to an all-time low,” according to a study by the independent National Center for Social Research last month.
For many, the royal opulence is a tasteless juxtaposition with what’s really going on in modern Britain: economic hardship for millions who saw the ruling Conservative Party deal a major blow in local elections this week.
Whether caused by Britain’s bleak economic prospects, Charles’ lower popularity numbers than his late mother, or what is most likely a combination of both, royal madness has not gripped Britain as it has at events when the late Queen was on the throne.
Most royal experts don’t think the monarchy is on the verge of collapse. But many agree that support, visibility and relevance are important for the royals. The alternative is that people look at the golden carriages, the multi-million dollar crown jewels and the palaces and ask: What is all this for?
Further evidence of this apathy is the dozen or so Coronation events across the UK that have been canceled due to a lack of demand for tickets. That’s probably a small sample of the true total number of parties abandoned, according to a Facebook search.
Under gray skies and a British drizzle, a green space on London’s King’s Road set aside for coronation picnics was still completely empty as of noon (7am ET). Motorists were greeted with a large spray-painted banner reading “DOWN WITH THE CROWN” on the A12, a busy motorway linking London and neighboring Essex.
Some 180 miles west of the epic splendor of London, on the remote and wild west coast of Wales, hosting a royal event seemed like a slam dunk, particularly after the popularity of a similar Queen’s Jubilee event last year. The plan for Aberaeron Yacht Club was to have a traditional ‘tea by the sea’ – ‘tea’ in this case means an ‘afternoon tea’ consisting of sandwiches, scones and of course Pimms, the quintessentially British gin-based cocktail, everything for 17 pounds (around $21).
“Tickets are limited so book early to avoid disappointment!” the poster said. That was far from the case.
Protesters wave “Not My King” signs near Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023. Sebastien Bozon / AFP – Getty Images
“We ran an ad but I don’t think we had half a dozen responses,” said Amanda Harvey, 59, the club’s bartender. “People like the royals, but I don’t think Charles is that popular. Last year’s Queen’s Jubilee sold out – this time it was a different story.”
Across Britain, streets are adorned with Union flag bunting and royalist displays in shop windows, but the decor is noticeably more subdued and reduced than at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last year, when it felt like the whole country was decked out in paraphernalia.
According to the official Coronation website, there are more than 600 street parties. But many appear to be more of an excuse to celebrate a long bank holiday weekend and share a drink with neighbours, with Charles only being mentioned in passing in the event’s blurb.
Lily Blue Gifts, a shop in Hagley, central England, also summed up the inclusive, royal-agnostic theme: “Whether you’re a true royalist or just love a themed party and an extra day off, we’ve got you covered have covered.”
A reveler celebrated in his own way in London. Piroschka van de Wouw / AP
In Hackney, London’s notorious hipster precinct in East London, an ‘Alternative Coronation’ celebration was held as early as 10am local time (5am ET) at Chats Palace arts centre. This event focused far more on celebrating those in attendance than showing any obedience to the king.
“We all deserve a crown!” his aviator said.
“The idea is that it’s a safe place for all families in Hackney to come together, no matter what shape or size your family is,” said Perdie Bargh, a producer for the event, which included arts and crafts, a royal photo booth and much more includes a drag queen storytelling show.
Did Bargh host the event because she’s a royalist?
“Listen, I’m a producer and I love a subject,” she said. “And that’s a great topic!”