Latest news with #SymonHill
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
English liberty means the right to protest against the monarchy
Any lover of liberty should be delighted that Symon Hill, a trainee Baptist Minister, has finally received some measure of justice after being outrageously arrested by the police for expressing his view on the monarchy. On his way home from church in September of 2022, when confronted with a local procession proclaiming the accession of King Charles III to the throne, he called out 'who elected him?' For this he was handcuffed, taken away to the station and charged under the Public Order Act with 'threatening or abusive words or behaviour'. Even though charges were eventually dropped, and Hill has now been paid £2,500 in compensation from Thames Valley police over his arrest, it was a scene befitting a dictatorship rather than a free country. The monarchy is taken to be so emblematic of British and English identity that opposition to it is sometimes seen as an expression of anti-Britishness. But nothing could be further from the truth. England doesn't have an official national anthem. While 'God Save the King' – the official anthem of the United Kingdom – is deployed at football internationals, 'Jerusalem' and 'Land of Hope and Glory' are played at other sporting events. These latter patriotic hymns make no mention of a king or queen. What could be more anti-British than arresting and attempting to punish people for anti-monarchism? Republicanism may be a minority view, but it is just as British – and specifically English – as monarchism. It has a long and deep history on these isles. You see it with John Milton, the author of Areopagitica, one of the greatest texts against censorship ever written. You also see it with the Levellers and their insistence on popular sovereignty, religious tolerance and extended suffrage. And you see it with Thomas Paine, whose republican ideas were crucial in shaping the American Revolution, and whose constitutional architecture drew upon the revolutionary ideas of 17th century England. This radical tradition is also found in the poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Blake and (early) William Wordsworth. Shelley wrote: 'Man must assert his native rights, must say / we take from Monarchs' hand the granted sway.' When Symon Hill shouted 'who elected him?' about King Charles III, he was echoing an old argument that no ruler can govern a people without the consent of the governed. A lot of credit must go to English republicanism for helping to shape Britain into becoming a free society governed by the rule of law and not the absolute will of an individual on a throne. Without its struggle against arbitrary power, England wouldn't have become the 'republican monarchy' that Voltaire eulogised over. For many of us, our affinity to England and Britain isn't and has never been dependent upon the pomp and ceremony of monarchy. There is nothing at all alien about opposing the Royal family; Britons have been doing it for centuries. And the right to reject the monarchy – even if you strenuously disagree with republicanism – is an affirmation of British values rather than a rejection of it. What is England if not the land of liberty? If the King is nothing more than a custodian of a free society, there ought to be nothing to fear from one man voicing his opinion against the status quo. To try to repress this would be, above all, a betrayal of the liberty generations before have struggled and perished to advance in this country. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
English liberty means the right to protest against the monarchy
Any lover of liberty should be delighted that Symon Hill, a trainee Baptist Minister, has finally received some measure of justice after being outrageously arrested by the police for expressing his view on the monarchy. On his way home from church in September of 2022, when confronted with a local procession proclaiming the accession of King Charles III to the throne, he called out 'who elected him?' For this he was handcuffed, taken away to the station and charged under the Public Order Act with 'threatening or abusive words or behaviour'. Even though charges were eventually dropped, and Hill has now been paid £2,500 in compensation from Thames Valley police over his arrest, it was a scene befitting a dictatorship rather than a free country. The monarchy is taken to be so emblematic of British and English identity that opposition to it is sometimes seen as an expression of anti-Britishness. But nothing could be further from the truth. England doesn't have an official national anthem. While 'God Save the King' – the official anthem of the United Kingdom – is deployed at football internationals, 'Jerusalem' and 'Land of Hope and Glory' are played at other sporting events. These latter patriotic hymns make no mention of a king or queen. What could be more anti-British than arresting and attempting to punish people for anti-monarchism? Republicanism may be a minority view, but it is just as British – and specifically English – as monarchism. It has a long and deep history on these isles. You see it with John Milton, the author of Areopagitica, one of the greatest texts against censorship ever written. You also see it with the Levellers and their insistence on popular sovereignty, religious tolerance and extended suffrage. And you see it with Thomas Paine, whose republican ideas were crucial in shaping the American Revolution, and whose constitutional architecture drew upon the revolutionary ideas of 17 th century England. This radical tradition is also found in the poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Blake and (early) William Wordsworth. Shelley wrote: 'Man must assert his native rights, must say / we take from Monarchs' hand the granted sway.' When Symon Hill shouted 'who elected him?' about King Charles III, he was echoing an old argument that no ruler can govern a people without the consent of the governed. A lot of credit must go to English republicanism for helping to shape Britain into becoming a free society governed by the rule of law and not the absolute will of an individual on a throne. Without its struggle against arbitrary power, England wouldn't have become the 'republican monarchy' that Voltaire eulogised over. For many of us, our affinity to England and Britain isn't and has never been dependent upon the pomp and ceremony of monarchy. There is nothing at all alien about opposing the Royal family; Britons have been doing it for centuries. And the right to reject the monarchy – even if you strenuously disagree with republicanism – is an affirmation of British values rather than a rejection of it. What is England if not the land of liberty? If the King is nothing more than a custodian of a free society, there ought to be nothing to fear from one man voicing his opinion against the status quo. To try to repress this would be, above all, a betrayal of the liberty generations before have struggled and perished to advance in this country.
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Arrest of anti-monarchist at King's proclamation ceremony was unlawful, admit police
Police have admitted that the arrest of an anti-monarchy protester who shouted 'who elected him?' during a proclamation ceremony for the King was unlawful. Thames Valley Police said it accepted that the grounds of the offence for which trainee Baptist minister Symon Hill was arrested in September 2022 'were unlawful'. The 47-year-old had been walking home from church when he stopped and called out during the ceremony at Carfax Tower in Oxford and was handcuffed and arrested. The event, which took place three days after the late Queen's death, was one of many ceremonies in cities and towns across the UK where a proclamation of accession of Charles to the throne was read aloud. Mr Hill, now living in Coventry, was later charged with using threatening or abusive words or disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, but the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in 2023 that this had been dropped as the case 'did not meet our legal test for a prosecution'. Having challenged his arrest with the help of Liberty, the human rights organisation, Mr Hill in February settled a claim with Thames Valley Police and has recently been paid £2,500 in compensation. Received death threats Mr Hill, who was at the time a teacher in adult education and has since taken up training to be a Baptist minister, said the past two-and-a-half years had been 'bizarre'. He told the PA news agency: 'I was gobsmacked when I was arrested.' He said while he had received hundreds of supportive messages from strangers in the aftermath of his arrest, he had also been subject to abusive comments and death threats. On his initial arrest, he said: 'I worry that rights that have been struggled for for centuries are being threatened by new draconian anti-protest laws, by unaccountable police behaviour, by both Labour and Tory governments really not upholding civil liberties and human dignity.' Describing himself as 'anti-monarchy', Mr Hill said: 'My objection to monarchy is rooted in my belief in the equal value of all human beings, it's connected to my Christian faith. 'It's about wanting to treat other people as equals, and for them to treat me as an equal. It's about not wanting to bow down to another human being.' In the days after the death of Elizabeth II, a former counter-terror chief said police had been 'overzealous' in their handling of anti-monarchy protesters. Nick Aldworth said the late Queen would not have wanted 'interference with legitimate protest' and branded the actions of some officers as 'inappropriate over-protectiveness towards the dignity of the event'. Ability to voice opinions Ben Snuggs, the deputy chief constable, said: 'Thames Valley Police has settled a claim with Mr Hill and has accepted that the grounds of the offence for which he was arrested were unlawful. 'Public order and public safety operations are a key part of policing and it's important we use these circumstances to help shape our future response.' Katy Watts, a lawyer at Liberty, said: 'A functioning democracy relies on the ability to voice different opinions and discuss them in public spaces. Symon's wrongful arrest shows how broad anti-protest laws are shutting down people's freedom of expression.' She said Mr Hill had been 'needlessly funnelled into the criminal justice system and the admittance of wrongful arrest by Thames Valley Police shows that we can voice an opinion in public spaces '. She added: 'As even more protest-based criminal offences are being introduced, we need this Government to take a step back and look at the complex web of anti-protest laws and how it is being used.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy, and it is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.'
BBC News
11-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Oxford anti-monarchy protester paid compensation by police
A man arrested for shouting "who elected him?" during a proclamation ceremony for the King has been paid £2,500 in Valley Police said it accepted the grounds of the offence for which Symon Hill was arrested in September 2022 "were unlawful".The 47-year-old had been walking home from church when he stopped and called out during the ceremony at Carfax Tower in Oxford and was handcuffed and event, which took place three days after the late Queen's death, was one of many ceremonies in cities and towns across the UK where a proclamation of accession of Charles to the throne was read aloud. Mr Hill, who was a teacher in adult education at the time but has since taken up training to be a Baptist minister, said the past two-and-a-half years had been "bizarre".Describing himself as "anti-monarchy", he said: "To me, my objection to monarchy is rooted in my belief in the equal value of all human beings, it's connected to my Christian faith."It's about wanting to treat other people as equals, and for them to treat me as an equal."Mr Hill, now living in Coventry, said while he had received hundreds of supportive messages from strangers in the aftermath of his arrest, he had also been subject to abusive comments and death threats. He had been charged with using threatening or abusive words or disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or Crown Prosecution Service later dropped the case as it "did not meet our legal test for a prosecution".Having challenged his arrest with the help of human rights organisation Liberty, Mr Hill last month settled a claim with Thames Valley Police.A Home Office spokesperson said: "The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy, and it is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Police admit King protest arrest was unlawful and pay compensation
A trainee Baptist minister arrested for shouting 'Who elected him?' during a proclamation ceremony for the King described the experience as 'bizarre' as he settled legal action and was compensated by police. Thames Valley Police said they accepted that the grounds of the offence for which Symon Hill was arrested in September 2022 'were unlawful'. The 47-year-old had been walking home from church when he stopped and called out during the ceremony at Carfax Tower in Oxford and was handcuffed and arrested. The event, which took place three days after the late Queen's death, was one of many ceremonies in cities and towns across the UK where a proclamation of accession of Charles to the throne was read aloud. Mr Hill, now living in Coventry, was later charged with using threatening or abusive words or disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, but the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in 2023 that this had been dropped because the case 'did not meet our legal test for a prosecution'. Having challenged his arrest with the help of human rights organisation Liberty, Mr Hill last month settled a claim with Thames Valley Police and has recently been paid £2,500 in compensation. Mr Hill, who was at the time a teacher in adult education and has since taken up training to be a Baptist minister, said the past two-and-a-half years had been 'bizarre'. He told the PA news agency: 'I was gobsmacked when I was arrested.' He said that, while he had received hundreds of supportive messages from strangers in the aftermath of his arrest, he had also been subject to abusive comments and death threats. On his initial arrest, he said: 'I worry that rights that have been struggled for for centuries are being threatened by new draconian anti-protest laws, by unaccountable police behaviour, by both Labour and Tory governments really not upholding civil liberties and human dignity.' Describing himself as 'anti-monarchy', Mr Hill said: 'To me, my objection to monarchy is rooted in my belief in the equal value of all human beings, it's connected to my Christian faith. 'It's about wanting to treat other people as equals, and for them to treat me as an equal. 'It's about not wanting to bow down to another human being.' In the days after the late Queen's death, a former counter-terror chief said police had been 'overzealous' in their handling of anti-monarchy protesters. Nick Aldworth said the late Queen would not have wanted 'interference with legitimate protest' and branded the actions of some officers 'inappropriate over-protectiveness towards the dignity of the event'. Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs said: 'Thames Valley Police has settled a claim with Mr Hill and has accepted that the grounds of the offence for which he was arrested were unlawful. 'Public order and public safety operations are a key part of policing and it's important we use these circumstances to help shape our future response.' Katy Watts, a lawyer at Liberty, said: 'A functioning democracy relies on the ability to voice different opinions and discuss them in public spaces. Symon's wrongful arrest shows how broad anti-protest laws are shutting down people's freedom of expression.' She said Mr Hill had been 'needlessly funnelled into the criminal justice system and the admittance of wrongful arrest by Thames Valley Police shows that we can voice an opinion in public spaces'. She added: 'As even more protest-based criminal offences are being introduced, we need this Government to take a step back and look at the complex web of anti-protest laws and how it is being used. 'We must urgently see a review of the broad anti-protest legislation to ensure that what happened to Symon cannot be allowed to happen again.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy, and it is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.'
