‘Real democracy now’ anti-monarchy protest to greet King as he visits Cardiff tomorrow
A silent protest against the monarchy will take place in Cardiff as King Charles III visits the city tomorrow, September 16.
The protestors are meeting outside Cardiff Castle at 1pm to stand together, holding posters with the slogans: ‘Why a Monarchy? Divine Right of Kings? Real democracy now’.
Campaigners want the Welsh public to consider whether a different future, without the monarchy, is possible.
“As soon as King Charles III decided to announce that Prince William should become Prince of Wales, so soon after the death of the Queen, many of us felt compelled to respond,” Bethan Sayed, a former MS for Plaid Cymru and activist said.
“We must discuss the future of Wales, and what we want that to look like. Support for independence is on the rise, in two weeks a march and rally for independence will be held on the very streets that the new king will travel on.
“We need a National conversation about why the Royal family are born to lead over us. Why are we not fit to govern ourselves? Do we want to have a Wales free of the Monarchy? If so, what can that look like?
“People tell us that now is not the time to discuss this issue, however, when the monarchy passes from the incumbent to a new King, now is exactly the time to discuss this matter. It is about fairness, equality, and the Wales we want to shape for future generations.”
A petition against continuing with the Prince of Wales title has now hit 25,000 signatures, just under a week since it was started.
‘Now is the time to discuss’
Labour for an Independent Wales is supporting the action.
“Like our leader Mark Drakeford, we are republicans,” a representative said.
“Now is the best time to discuss how unfair the monarchy is and how unfitting it is for the 21st Century Wales we’re all building.
“Soon 67% of Welsh people will live in fuel poverty while the royals inherit millions, tax free. Our democracy is weakened by their presence and so, ultimately, we push for an independent, socialist, republic of Wales.”
Adam Johannes, organiser of recent protests in Cardiff over rising energy bills said: “Why so much promotion of an unelected Head of State as a common good?
“Is it so we accept as natural, good and right unelected owners of multinational corporations, unelected bankers, the whole panoply of unelected and unaccountable institutions that control and rule over our daily lives in today’s society?
“Do we want to live in a state of permanent austerity with undemocratic trappings like monarchy? Or a democratic republic guaranteeing every citizen the right to adequate food, housing and income.
“Let’s abolish the monarchy, expand democracy, and use the money we save to help people during the cost-of-living crisis.”
‘We need a debate’
Trade Unionist Cerith Griffiths said: “A lot has changed since Queen Elizabeth was crowned over 70 years ago.
“Significantly Wales now has its own Parliament and can pass legislation that makes a difference to those who live in Wales. In 2016 several aspects of the Trade Union Act were dis-applied in Wales but now the Westminster government is overruling those decisions taken by an elected Welsh government.
“If we truly value democracy, then we need to have a debate about the role of the monarchy, and whether them enabling the government of another country overruling the democratic decisions taken here in Wales, really is fit for the 21st century.”
Campaigners are calling upon Welsh Government and Cardiff Council leaders to ask the police to respect the democratic right to protest, given the example of the London Barrister Paul Powlesland, who was threatened with arrest if he wrote ‘Not my King’ on a blank piece of white paper in London this week.
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Read “The Impeachment of the Brunswicks” by the late Charles Bradlaugh to learn how the royals acquired much of their wealth. Tell others to do so as well. The institution of the monarchy is utterly corrupt.
Will do, diolch.
So will I 🏴.
I will too. Diolch.
This is a fascinating book by a fascinating and admirable crusading 19th century Parliamentarian. But Bradlaugh justly admits in ending that ‘I do not pretend here to have pleaded for Republicanism’, although he was a great admirer of the Republic forged by the late President Lincoln, upon moral principles and a reading of Paine’s ‘Rights of Man’, which abolished slavery in the United States. His well-founded condemnation of sundry corrupt dealings of the House of Hanover, in an era previous to our own, is, however, hardly directly relevant to the present House of Windsor. We have a Constitutional and Limited… Read more »
The minority of unelected people are ruling the majority and we let it happen. We all need treatment.
As Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote 200 years ago…”Monarchy is only the string that ties the robber’s bundle”
All agreed but what is handy about the new King visiting Y Senedd in the capital city of our NATION Cymru (ditto Holyrood in Edinburgh), is that it validates two nations and delivers a massive slap down to the bigoted nation denier Lord Frost and all the supporting cast of no mark keyboard cowards at the far right imperialist filth rags. YOUR BOSS HAS SPOKEN SO BE TOLD AND AND BE SILENT!
People oppose the monarchy because it is so undemocratic. Some are nationalists, some socialists, some are neither. Moving to an elected apolitical head of state does not mean a socialist Wales is inevitable because that is a matter of government policy, not for an apolitical head of state, who would not be involved in running the country. I oppose the monarchy because it doesn’t work. My choice of political party I’ll keep to myself as it’s not relevant to republicanism.
I don’t see anything un-political about the President of the USA. They are all elected on a defined political platform. But of course there are many other presidential countries where the separation of powers does exist, because they also retain a Prime Minister. The Republic of Ireland is an instance. And if you want an apolitical head of state in Britain – we’ve already got one! He is King Charles III. Our model of government is called Constitutional, or Limited, Monarchy. The monarch is forbidden, by Law, from meddling in the working of Parliament. What on earth is ‘anti-democratic’ about… Read more »
Best wishes and support to today’s protest. They know they are at risk of arrest. If you’d like to know more about the case for a republic, visit republic.org.uk
Time for reining in the reigns, throwing away the thrones, and replacing hypocrisy with democracy.
I note that Republican agitators want to interfere with proceedings during the visit of our new King to Wales. Their hatred for the institution of Monarchy rankles the more with them because of real historical injustices. Some terrible things were done to Wales in the past, the worst being the Conquest under King Edward the First of England. Such tragedies have been the lot of all other countries in the course of their history. But Britain’s old feudal system is dead and gone. We have a Constitutional Monarch today. The difference between then and now is immense and… Read more »