Anti-monarchist protesters who heckled King Charles

The anti-monarchy protesters took to the streets of London this afternoon to heckle King Charles as he attended the Commonwealth Day service include a modern day Oliver Cromwell and privately-educated model and actress.

Activists from campaign group Republic staged their latest demonstration against the Royal Family today and chanted ‘not my King’ as the monarch arrived for the service at Westminster Abbey.

Among those who voiced their frustrations with the monarchy was CEO Graham Smith, far-left Extinction Rebellion activist Gully Bujak and campaign coordinator Ben Clinton who’s trying to make a name as a young Labour campaigner.

The group, which has ramped up its rallies against His Majesty ahead of his May Coronation, has branded the King as ‘just a bloke in a suit who’s spending lots of our money’. Today’s demonstration comes just days after they booed the royal the King and Queen Consort as they visited Colchester in Essex.

The anti-monarchy protesters took to the streets of London this afternoon to heckle King Charles as he attended the Commonwealth Day service include a modern day Oliver Cromwell and privately-educated model and actress 

GULLY BUJAK, protest organiser, (pictured today) only recently started her new role at Republic. She is an experienced climate change protest organiser who has been convicted of criminal acts during Extinction Rebellion eco protests

Republic is a pressure group calling for an end to the UK’s system of constitutional monarchy.

Set up in 1983 as a group of republicans and officially founded as pressure group in 2006, Republic wants to replace a royal head of state with an elected figure.

It would bring the UK into line with countries such as Germany, which has both a political leader, currently Chancellor Angela Merkel, and an elected head of state, the President of Germany, currently Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

It is a member organisation of Common Cause – the alliance of republican movements in the Commonwealth – as well as the Stockholm based Alliance of European Republican Movements.

The group protested the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.  

It is currently headed up by Peter Cafferkey – who took over as chairman of the pressure group earlier this year.

Mr Cafferkey is the UK’s representative for the European Venture Philanthropy Association, having founded London-based ‘social good’ consultancy Boncerto. 

Its current chief executive is long-term member Graham Smith, who has consistently called for the end to the Monarchy – a system he describes as ‘wrong’.  

As of 2015, the group had an income of £140,000. In 2016 it had over 5,000 paying members and about 35,000 online supporters. 

Mr Smith – who was spotted today outside Westminster Abbey – declared during the demonstration 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, he admitted: ‘The Queen enjoyed deference and it put people off criticising her directly. We were aware heckling her wouldn’t go down well.’

Republic believes hereditary public office goes against every democratic principle and ultimately want to abolish the monarchy. Instead, they want a head of state that is chosen by the public and keeps politicians in check. 

MailOnline takes a look at the Republic officials who assembled outside Westminster Abbey today… 

Smith has claimed the organisation’s overall mission is the ‘abolition of the monarchy in favour of a parliamentary republic.’ He is pictured today with Ben Clinton (right)

Activists from campaign group Republic staged their latest demonstration against the Royal Family today and chanted ‘not my King’ as the monarch arrived for the service at Westminster Abbey

Graham Smith, Chief Executive Officer 

Graham Smith, 48, is possibly the most well-known republican in Britain, and he has campaigned against the monarchy for 20 years. 

Graham Smith, chief executive (pictured today), is possibly the most well-known republican in Britain, and he has campaigned against the monarchy for 20 years. He was once described as ‘the most successful British republican since Oliver Cromwell’

His group, Republic, was set up in 1983 but has gained momentum and supporters in recent years after being formally set up as a limited company in 2006. 

He has claimed the organisation’s overall mission is the ‘abolition of the monarchy in favour of a parliamentary republic.’

Mr Smith – who was spotted today outside Westminster Abbey – last week labelled King Charles as ‘just a bloke in a suit who’s spending lots of our money’ but admitted heckling the Queen ‘wouldn’t have gone down well’.

‘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,’ he told MailOnline.

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

He added: ‘Charles is a very different person. He just inherited the throne and inheritance is an issue. 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.’

He also told MailOnline last month that ‘Charles has not inherited the respect and deference the Queen enjoyed.’

Republic is reportedly planning several protests in the coming weeks, but their main focus is a big protest at the coronation. Mr Smith previously revealed the group already has several hundred people pledging to be there. 

The Daily Beast also once described Mr Smith as ‘the most successful British republican since Oliver Cromwell’. 

Mr Smith recently labelled King Charles (pictured today) as ‘just a bloke in a suit who’s spending lots of our money’ but admitted heckling the Queen ‘wouldn’t have gone down well’

Gully Bujak, Protest Organiser 

Eleanor ‘Gully’ Bujak is an experienced climate change protest organiser who has been convicted of criminal acts during Extinction Rebellion eco protests. 

Eleanor Bujak, known as Gully, is a privately educated model and actress who previously led an attack on the press by Extinction Rebellion activists

She is also a privately-educated model and actress and former junior head girl at Stover School in Devon – where her father used to be headmaster.

Ms Bujak, 30, was one of six climate change protesters found guilty of obstructing a highway in an action that stopped the distribution of millions of newspapers, including the Daily Mail. 

Despite it being a repeat offence, Bujak, whose real first name is Eleanor, escaped with only a £150 fine, which has left her free to plot a second attack on the media. 

She also has prior convictions for obstructing the highway at other demonstrations, and appeared at road-blocking protests by Insulate Britain.

Last year, she stormed the chamber of the Commons with other climate activists who glued themselves to the Speaker’s Chair. 

In January, she put up a Polling Station sign on the gates of Buckingham Palace in a Republic protest aimed at calling for a referendum on the future of the monarchy.

She only recently started her new role as the protest organiser at Republic.

Gully Bujak (pictured) was one of six protesters found guilty of obstructing a highway in an action that stopped the distribution of millions of newspapers 

Ben Clinton (pictured today, second from right) is campaign co-ordinator for ‘Labour for a Republic’, a republican pressure group within the Labour Party

LIZ STEVENS, administration officer, is pictured at today’s protest outside Westminster Abbey

Ben Clinton, Campaign Co-Ordinator 

Ben Clinton is campaign co-ordinator for ‘Labour for a Republic’, a republican pressure group within the Labour Party. 

He has argued it’s important that the organisation ‘accelerates’ its demonstrative action ahead of the Coronation and  2023 Labour Party Conference.

BEN CLINTON, campaign co-ordinator (pictured today), has argued it’s important that the organisation ‘accelerates’ its demonstrative action ahead of the Coronation and 2023 Labour Party Conference

‘Take the Coronation, for example. Within a cost-of-living crisis, there’s no way that a family as wealthy as the royals should be spending precious public cash on a decadent and unnecessary display of pageantry,’ he previously argued in a press release. ‘As republicans, we need to be able to protest and campaign against this extravagance.’

He added: ‘These actions will include acquiring resources to protest the coronation, commissioning polling surrounding republicanism amongst Labour voters and engaging with CLPs and Trade Union branches up and down the country.’

Mr Clinton also claimed support for Republic’s campaigns is ‘rapidly growing.’ 

The co-ordinator has previously written for the Morning Star and is a councillor on the parish council in Peasmarsh, East Sussex.

He also spoke in favour of proportional representation at the Labour Party conference in 2021. 

Victoria Street is closed off prior to King Charles’ visit on March 13, 2023 in London. Anti-monarchy protesters gathered outside Westminster Abbey chanting ‘not my King’ and holding placards prior to the royal’s arrival for the annual Commonwealth Day service

Carol Lever, Chair 

Carol Lever was appointed to her role as chair in March 2020, according to Republic’s Companies House filing.

CAROL LEVER, chair (pictured today), was appointed to her role as chair in March 2020, according to Republic’s Companies House filing

The Welsh campaigner also holds director roles with Clever Milk LTD and the Free Range Dairy Network. 

She has worked with Free Range Dairy since 2014 and, according to her LinkedIn bio, aided in the launch of the first free range milk in the UK.

Ms Lever claims she ‘successfully took a new fresh milk product from conception to production’ under the Pasture Promise logo. 

Pasture Promise milk is now stocked in major retailers in the UK.

Ms Lever, who has a degree in marketing and advertising, claims to have worked on successful national campaigns including the comprehensive smokefree legislation and GM Free Britain.

She also held campaigner roles with Save the Children and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

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