'Not My King' protest organisers distance themselves from Piers Corbyn

EXCLUSIVE Anti-monarchists say Charles is ‘fair game’ and admit heckling the Queen ‘wouldn’t have gone down well’ as they organise more ‘Not My King’ protests – but distance themselves from anti-vaxxer Piers Corbyn who hijacked Colchester demo

• Republic said that Piers Corbyn ‘has no relationship to our cause whatsoever’
• The anti-monarchy campaign group said he attended for a separate cause 

An anti-monarchy campaign group responsible for organising a string of ‘Not My King’ demonstrations called criticising Charles ‘fair game’ and admitted that heckling the late Queen would have been unpopular with the public, MailOnline can exclusively reveal today.

Republic, who have ramped up protests against the King in the lead up to the Coronation in May, branded the monarch ‘just a bloke in a suit who’s spending lots of our money’.

Its chief executive Graham Smith told MailOnline that Charles should be criticised like any other politician – but in an attempt to explain why the group was organising more protests against the King than his late mother, admitted: ‘The Queen enjoyed deference and it put people off criticising her directly. We were aware heckling her wouldn’t go down well’.

He also distanced his movement from anti-vaxxer Piers Corbyn after the conspiracy theorist brother of ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tried to hijack yesterday’s protest in Colchester, as King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla visited the city.

Mr Smith told MailOnline: ‘Charles is a very different person. He just inherited the throne and inheritance is an issue.

Crowds of well-wishers had gathered to greet the monarch but among them were anti-monarchy protesters who waved ‘Not My King’ banners and shouted at Charles (pictured) to ‘come over and talk to your critics’

The protest in Colchester yesterday was the latest to be organised by Republic, who have vowed to hold a series of protests in the run up to and on the Coronation

‘We think now is the right moment for us to push our message. We did protest the Queen, such as at the 2012 Jubilee. 

‘Other people certainly had a greater level of respect for the Queen. The Queen enjoyed deference and it put people off criticising her directly. We were aware heckling her wouldn’t go down well.

‘But everything has changed, it’s a very different monarchy. This has changed the nature of the campaign.’

The group believe hereditary public office goes against every democratic principle and ultimately want to abolish the monarchy.

Instead, they want head of state that is chosen by the public and keeps politicians in check.

Mr Smith continued: ‘If you think politicians are fair game for heckling and protests, you should see Charles in the same way. The Queen felt like the real deal. Charles is just a bloke in a suit who’s spending lots of our money.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla at Colchester Castle to mark its recently awarded city status

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla greeting some schoolchildren outside Colchester Castle

Anti-monarchy protesters were also part of the crowds that had gathered to greet the King in Colchester, Essex

‘He should be treated like a politician. Heads of state should be fair game for criticism.’

The group intends to protest in York next month when King Charles is set to visit, and claim they have 1,000 supporters signed up to protest along the procession route at his Coronation on May 6.  

READ MORE: Moment Charles is greeted by Republicans waving banners saying ‘not my King’ in anti-monarchy protest as he arrives to celebrate Milton Keynes being given city status

Republic also took steps to distance themselves from Piers Corbyn, saying: ‘He has no relationship to our cause whatsoever’, after the conspiracy theorist was spotted among protesters yesterday.

Mr Smith made clear ‘he’s not part’ of their group and attended for a separate cause after the Covid conspiracy theorist waved signs linking the King to the World Economic Forum and Jimmy Savile.

Corbyn, 75, was seen at the demonstration in Colchester yesterday, where King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla visited to mark its newly awarded city status. 

Crowds of well-wishers had gathered to greet the monarch but among them were anti-monarchy protesters who waved ‘Not My King’ banners and shouted at the Royal to ‘come over and talk to your critics’.

The protest was the latest to be organised by Republic, who have vowed to hold a series of protests in the run up to and on the Coronation, including in York next month.

Also there was the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and some of his supporters, who held a banner objecting to what he claimed was Charles’s support of the World Economic Forum.

Piers Corbyn, 75, was seen holding a yellow placard reading: ‘Charles must serve the UK, not the World Economic Forum’s tyranny’ at yesterday’s demonstration in Colchester, Essex

A member of Piers Corbyn’s enoutrage was seen calling on Charles to ‘serve the UK, not WEF tyranny’ during an anti-monarch demonstration in Colchester yesterday 

Distancing themselves from Corbyn’s protest today, Graham Smith said: ‘He’s not part of Republic.

‘He was quite some distance from us and there for a fairly different issue. He has no relationship to our cause whatsoever. I’ve never seen him before.

‘It was well publicised we were going to be there, but he wasn’t anywhere near us.’

Corbyn, an anti-vaccine activist who was among those spotted holding placards, appeared to be expressing his views on the climate and World Economic Forum during the royal visit.

He was photographed holding a yellow placard reading: ‘Charles must serve the UK, not the World Economic Forum’s tyranny.’

Corbyn has taken aim at the World Economic Forum’s ‘Great Reset’ initiative which is an economic recovery plan in response to the pandemic.

Jeremy Corbyn’s brother Piers (right) is a well-known conspiracy theorist who has spouted claims that the coronavirus is linked to 5G mobile networks. Pictured with him at the August 29 demo in 2020 is struck-off nurse Kate Shemirani (left), who has also spouted conspiracy theories about the disease

More than 10,000 Covid conspiracy theorists who believe the virus is a hoax gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square on August 29, 2020, to protest against lockdown restrictions and vaccination programmes. Piers Corbyn has been fined for his role in this protest

Last November, the meteorologist and climate sceptic stood up in front of Oxfordshire County councillors to tell them ‘man-made climate change does not exist’ as he opposed measures being introduced to cut traffic. 

The meeting was then used by conspiracy theorists worldwide to push baseless claims of climate change lockdowns in a post-pandemic ‘Great Reset’ era. 

Corbyn attended dozens of anti-lockdown protests across the country during the pandemic, including events in London, Manchester and Bristol. 

Last year he was ordered to pay more than £1,000 after breaking Covid rules by attending anti-lockdown protests in the capital.

At one protest in Trafalgar Square, more than 10,000 Covid deniers gathered to demonstrate against restrictions and the vaccine.

The ‘Unite for Freedom’ rally saw speeches from Corbyn and other conspiracy theorists such as David Icke and struck-off nurse Kate Shermirani. 

He was also arrested in May 2021 while protesting in Hyde Park, where he spread his anti-vax message over a microphone.

That year he also stood as a candidate in the London Mayoral elections, declaring he would ‘end lockdown on day one’ in the role.

He finished 11th with 20,604 votes while his party, Let London Live, came 12th in the London Assembly election with 15,755 votes.

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