Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Anti-monarchy protesters arrested ahead of Coronation

With the crown passing from Queen Elizabeth to her less popular son, republican activists hope Charles will be the last British monarch to be crowned

Anti-monarchy protesters arrested ahead of Coronation

Police arrested the leader of the anti-monarchy group Republic hours before King Charles' Coronation on Saturday (6) and a number of other protesters who had gathered among the crowds lining the procession route in central London.

Republic had earlier said it would mount the biggest protest against a British monarch in modern history. But Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley warned on Friday (5) that police would take action if protesters tried to "obstruct the enjoyment and celebration" of people.

Protesters, dressed in yellow t-shirts to make themselves stand out, were demanding an elected head of state and say that the royal family has no place in a modern constitutional democracy and is staggeringly expensive to maintain.

A spokesperson for the group said police had arrested its leader Graham Smith on Saturday morning. A photo posted on Twitter showed Smith sitting on the ground surrounded by police officers.

Police did not confirm Smith's arrest but said they had arrested four people on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and three people on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage in what they called a "significant police operation".

Republic said five of its supporters had been arrested and hundreds of its placards seized. A Reuters photographer said a number of Just Stop Oil protesters were also arrested.

Some anti-monarchy protesters had held up signs saying "privatise them" and "abolish the monarchy, not the right to protest", and "Not My King".

Others signs featured a picture of Meghan, the wife of Charles' son Prince Harry, with the words "the people's princess", and "God Save the King" with a picture of the late soccer great Pele.

Most of the anti-monarchy protesters on Saturday had congregated in Trafalgar Square next to the bronze statue of King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, leading to a short-lived republic.

Although they were in a minority compared with the tens of thousands gathered on London’s streets to support the king, polls suggest support for the monarchy is declining and is weakest among young people.

With the crown passing from Queen Elizabeth to her less popular son, republican activists hope Charles will be the last British monarch to be crowned.

Since Charles became king last September, there have been protests at royal events. He was heckled at a Commonwealth Day event at Westminster Abbey in March and targeted with eggs in York in November.

The death of the queen has also reignited debate in other parts of the world, such as Australia and Jamaica, about the need to retain Charles as their head of state.

While many other European monarchies have come and gone, or are far diminished in scale and importance, the British royal family has remained remarkably resilient.

In Britain, polls show the majority of the population still want the royal family, but there is a long-term trend of declining support.

A poll by YouGov last month found 64 per cent of people in Britain said they had little or no interest in the Coronation. Among those aged 18 to 24, the number voicing little or no interest rose to 75 per cent.

More than 11,000 police officers are on patrol for the coronation, the biggest ceremonial event staged in the British capital for 70 years.

(Reuters)

More For You

Epping protests

Protesters calling for the closure of The Bell Hotel, which was housing asylum seekers, gather outside the council offices in Epping on August 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Over a dozen councils plan legal action despite Home Office court win

Highlights:

  • Court of Appeal has overturned injunction blocking use of Epping hotel for asylum seekers.
  • Judges say human rights obligations outweigh local safety concerns.
  • At least 13 councils preparing legal action despite ruling.
  • Protests outside the Bell Hotel lead to arrests and police injuries.

MORE than a dozen councils are moving ahead with legal challenges against the use of hotels for asylum seekers despite the Home Office winning an appeal in the Court of Appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less
India-Canada-iStock

India and Canada have appointed new envoys in a step to restore diplomatic ties strained since 2023. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Envoys appointed as India, Canada move to restore diplomatic ties

INDIA and Canada on Thursday announced the appointment of new envoys to each other’s capitals, in a step aimed at restoring strained ties following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023.

India has named senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the next high commissioner to Ottawa, while Canada appointed Christopher Cooter as its new envoy to New Delhi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rajitha Senaratne arrested

Security officers escort Sri Lankan former fisheries minister, Rajitha Senaratne (C), outside a court in Colombo on August 29, 2025. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Getty Images

Rajitha Senaratne detained as Sri Lanka intensifies anti-corruption drive

SRI LANKAN former government minister surrendered himself to a court on Friday (29) after two months on the run, the latest high profile detention in a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown.

Anti-graft units have ramped up their investigations since president Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in September on a promise to fight corruption.

Keep ReadingShow less
protests-uk-getty
Protesters from the group Save Our Future & Our Kids Future demonstrate against uncontrolled immigration outside the Cladhan Hotel on August 16, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Government wins appeal over housing asylum seekers in hotel

Highlights:

  • UK appeals court overturns ruling blocking hotel use for asylum seekers
  • Judges call earlier High Court decision “seriously flawed”
  • 138 asylum seekers will not need to be relocated by September 12
  • Full hearing scheduled at the Court of Appeal in October

A UK appeals court has overturned a lower court order that had temporarily blocked the use of a hotel in Epping, northeast of London, to house asylum seekers.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK migrant tutor posts

Seema Malhotra (Photo: Getty Images)

Government scraps tutor posts for detained migrants after backlash

HOME OFFICE minister Seema Malhotra has ordered the removal of UK government job advertisements for roles such as a balloon craft tutor, which were being offered to migrants held at a detention centre in London.

The intervention followed a report in The Sun newspaper highlighting job listings worth over £30,000 a year at the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (HIRC).

Keep ReadingShow less