Met Police slammed for 'trying to block' anti-monarchy protest during upcoming royal spectacle
Kate was on the balcony at Trooping the Colour last year
PA
The Metropolitan Police has been slammed for "trying to block" anti-monarchy protests during an upcoming royal spectacle.
Republic, an anti-monarchy group, claimed the Met cited the European Convention on Human Rights as justification for closing down the planned protests at Trooping the Colour this weekend.
The Met claimed a protest would deny spectators the right to enjoy the parade, which Republic disputed, adding that human rights legislation "does not provide a right to enjoy a day out".
The pressure group said no final decision had been made, but accused the police of insisting the protest is "moved to a place that is out of sight of the parade and media".
Met Police slammed for 'trying to block' anti-monarchy protest
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King Charles, 75, will make a high-profile appearance on Saturday to mark the monarch’s official birthday during Trooping the Colour, which takes place at Horse Guards Parade near Buckingham Palace in central London.
Republic, which campaigns for the abolition of the monarchy and its replacement with an elected head of state, said the move by the police was "Kafkaesque".
The group claimed it was told at the start of the month by the Met that the force was "relaxed" and had "no issue" with the location of the protest.
Republic's CEO, Graham Smith, said: “Human rights laws protect the right to meaningfully protest.
Republic has vowed to continue their planned protest during Trooping the Colour
PA"To see those same laws used to effectively ban protest is a very worrying development.
“The police want us to protest well away from Buckingham Palace and away from the parade, where we will not be seen or heard. This is on the spurious grounds that a protest would deny spectators the right to enjoy the parade.
“The Human Rights Act and ECHR does not provide a right to enjoy a day out, and the experience of all our protests is that we successfully protest alongside spectators without incident.
“The argument that a protest is infringing on the rights of others to enjoy an event is particularly dangerous, opening up the possibility of banning any number of political protests on the most spurious grounds.”
The Royal Family during Trooping the Colour 2023GettyLATEST ROYAL NEWS
The Metropolitan Police have written to anti-monarchy group Republic
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Smith added that he was calling on all parties fighting the election to “guarantee the protection of meaningful peaceful protest”.
GB News has approached the Metropolitan Police for comment.
The Royalists, a pro-monarchist group, took to social media to praise the Met, regarding claims that they are trying to block the planned protests.
They wrote: "We are pleased to hear that common sense has prevailed, and the Met Police have raised legitimate concerns about Republic’s planned demonstration on Saturday. Our plans are unchanged, and we will rally together in support of The King on Saturday, 15 June."