It has been quite a few days for the normally mild-mannered and longstanding chief executive of Republic, the country's leading anti-monarchist organisation, a somewhat lonesome voice since it was formed in 1983.
Despite the car-crash quality of Prince Harry's sulk from a middlestatus row behind Princess Anne's feathered hat or the introduction to the coronation of that dress by Penny Mordaunt, the sword-wielding leader of the Commons, the standout story of the crowning of King Charles III on Saturday continues to be the arrest hours before the event at Westminster Abbey of Smith and the five other organisers of the main Republican protest.
Their revolutionary cause might not be wholly shared by the British public, yet a sense of an offence against fair play has been widely felt after the arrests, with former chief constables among those voicing their unease. The Met police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, described them as "unfortunate" yesterday.
Smith and the others were arrested for conspiracy to cause a public nuisance but were all released without charge. On Monday evening a Met chief inspector, sergeant and police constable arrived on the doorstep of Smith's terrace home to give him back his phone. "The chief inspector looked quite unsure of himself," Smith said. "He did apologise. I don't think he was supposed to."
This story is from the May 10, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the May 10, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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