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Protesters outside Buckingham Palace call for the monarchy to be abolished
May 9, 2026
Posted 1 hour ago by
Approximately 100 anti-monarchy campaigners took to the streets of central London today, demanding an end to the royal institution.The demonstration, coordinated by pressure group Republic, saw participants march from Trafalgar Square to the gates of Buckingham Palace on Saturday afternoon.Those taking part displayed their opposition through clothing and placards bearing slogans including abolish the monarchy and not my King.The protest represents the third such event organised by Republic, which has significantly expanded its operations and public presence in recent years.
TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Demonstrators gathered first at Trafalgar Square before proceeding to the royal residence, where they aimed to make a visible statement against the continuation of monarchical rule in Britain.Graham Smith, the 52-year-old who leads Republic, said the organisation has experienced a dramatic transformation following the late Queen's passing and King Charles III's subsequent coronation.The death of the Queen and the Coronation completely changed everything for us, Mr Smith said. We suddenly grew, we suddenly went from one member of staff to loads of staff.He pointed to a significant shift in public attitudes, noting that two decades ago, such demonstrations simply did not occur.In 2022 we could not have even thought of doing something like this, Mr Smith explained. It wasn't on the cards, we didn't have the staff or the money.Elizabeth McIntyre, a London-based Republic member, expressed her fundamental opposition to Britain's social structure.I really object to the class system in this country, she said. I think it creates a hierarchy which is absolutely unacceptable.Ms McIntyre argued that the monarchy sits at the apex of this inequality, stating: At the top of that hierarchy is an unelected monarchy, which means that from top to bottom there is inequality, and this has to go.In February, polling data delivered a damning verdict for the Royal Family, as the data revealed public perception of the royals was down in almost every measure.The data taken by Ipsos from February 13-16, showed a significant drop in popularity since November last year.Support for King Charles fell substantially, suffering a nine per cent drop, sitting at 46 per cent.Transparency was also an issue, as only 40 per cent of the public felt the Royal Family had become more transparent since King Charles ascended to the throne.Ipsos sampled 1,086 members of the public from ages 18-75 across the three days. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
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