Republicans Threatening Coronation Protests Lack Public Support, Sunak Says

Republican protesters demonstrated when King Charles visited Milton Keynes earlier this year. Photo: Joe Giddens/Pennsylvania

Republicans threaten to protest Coronation lacks public support, Downing Street says.

It comes after the Republic, an anti-monarchist group, warned it would derail King Charles's coronation , holding the largest demonstration in its history during the coronation parade.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: “Any of these threats, whether it be it or sporting events, are clearly unacceptable and will in no way be supported by the public , and therefore, of course, will be counterproductive.

More than 1,350 Republican activists have pledged to create an «unmissable yellow sea» along the route of the coronation day procession.

Graham Smith, head of the group, said activists aim to arrive early in the morning to be as close to the barriers as possible on a 1.4-mile route that passes through Whitehall, Admiralty Arch, and the mall.

When Charles III drives past protesters in the Gold State carriage, they plan to boo and chant, «Not my king.»< /p>

Mr Smith told The Times that the activists would be wearing yellow T-shirts and waving yellow placards to stand out from the crowd, but insisted there were no Extinction Rebellion-style gimmicks.

He said: » It's a matter of standing out, making a very bold statement that there is a republican movement and we are not a royalist nation. . We have megaphones and an amplifier with a microphone. We are not to be missed.”

He acknowledged that «there will be some irritated people» frustrated by the group's protest, but insisted they would be «a minority.»

Speaking at a Republican event in London on Wednesday, Mr Smith warned that anti-monarchists in the future will target other important royal events, including the coronation of Prince William and the wedding of his son, Prince George.

Mr Smith said at the event: “In terms of plans, we are going to continue with the protests. So we're going to follow Charles wherever he goes and probably extend that to William.

“We're going to sit down and think about what's next because this is the last big thing. for quite a long time, probably 25 years.”

The pledge to demonstrate came after the group protested two of the King's recent engagements, in Milton Keynes and Colchester.

In On both occasions, the King went on his visit as usual despite the riots, and the surrounding crowds chanted «God Save the King» to silence the Republicans.