A perspective on the coronation

I'm writing this for a couple of reasons. Partly to organise my thinking, partly to give context and clarity to those not in the UK, and partly so that others feeling similarly don't feel alone. I'm not knocking what any individual believes or wants to celebrate - I'm just sharing my own perception of things, and my concerns about what is going on.

Context

This weekend the coronation of our latest monarch is happening. This is happening in the context of last week's changes to the law which (against the recommendation of the UN's human rights chief and so many others) give the police more powers to suppress protests and criminalise peaceful protest using vague justifications. It's also worth noting that these changes have been brought in by a government who brought in voter ID requirements, reinforcing barriers to voting and effectively controlling who gets to participate in democracy.

A lot of people are understandably bothered at the fortune being spent, as described in an XR tweet, 'shutting down the whole of central London to celebrate a man "chosen by God" to wear a fancy hat'. Of course, this celebration of inequality is taking place in the middle of a cost of living crisis where food bank demand has kept on climbing, thanks in part to a government who are more concerned with covering up their scandals while suppressing people from exercising their rights, than they are in supporting the more vulnerable in society.

On top of all this, people are being encouraged to give their time and skills for free as part of a volunteering drive as part of the celebrations. I am passionate about volunteering, and love seeing people discover it and learn how the role and impact it can have in their life. But encouraging people to give their time for free in celebration of this random over-privileged family during a time of such hardship for so many feels insensitive to the point of parody.

Today

Today started with groups of peaceful protesters being arrested. As developments continue to emerge, it already appears that at least some of those arrests have been conducted illegally. There is more information emerging constantly, and all of it scares me.

The danger

The government have empowered the police to stamp down on any dissent - we've seen it in the last week, where they've been protecting their pals peddling fossil fuels. Today we're seeing them do it to suppress ideas and messages which don't align with the notion of a nation of happy little people pledging themselves to their rulers, under vague accusations of 'public nuisance'.

I have utmost respect for those who are not being cowed by the threat of arrest, and it does seem like that might be the only way of protecting freedoms. I've heard of people saying that they are wary of stepping into more disruptive actions, but that if peaceful protest started being treated as a crime they would consider that a risk worth taking. Of all the positions I'm hearing, that's one that clicks for me.

Society

I wish I believed that the main political opposition would better commit to protecting these rights. And I wish we had a state broadcaster who weren't pushed into a position where they continue to make editorial decisions on the basis of not pissing off the political right. With an viable opposition who were clear and firm that these rights were worth protecting, or a BBC who were brave or emboldened enough to report on the more oppressive elements of our government, the fight to protect our rights might be easier.

Walking through town, the number of businesses festooned with union flags and royalist messages is truly disturbing. The number of people I've spoken to who are uncomfortable with such messaging, but expected to promote it, is greater than I've ever known it to be before. I've spoken to people living and working in England who, once again, feel unwelcome and alien given the proliferation of flags and royal paraphernalia.

This reminds me of a friend, a French national who worked in one of a UK chain of pubs headed by an odd chap who was one of Brexit's most vocal supporters. I won't go into the impact Brexit ended up having, here. But this friend told me of how unwelcome they felt, expected to pop their pro-Brexit badge on before their shifts. The coronation buzz is different, but I feel like it must have brought up a lot of similar feelings for people in positions like these.

This is all alienating for people like myself, and the growing number of people who do not support the monarchy.

TL;DR

• It might appear as if everyone in the country is excited about the coronation, but this is not true.

• People are being asked to do things as part of these celebrations, whether it's unprecedented pledges to a King or giving their time for free, during a time where the government has allowed poverty to climb to scary levels.

• From the outside, the UK might seem like a progressive place which has some quirks like the monarchy. But to many of us, it feels like things are moving backwards and we will face consequences if we challenge this.

• People who seek to use their human rights to protest peacefully and challenge any of this are facing swift and rather totalitarian responses from law enforcement.

You might not have been directly effected or moved by the reaction to peaceful protests today. But the last couple of years have seen a shift towards a country in which people cannot speak out.

You might not want to speak out about this today, but it is worth thinking about - how much worse will things have to get for you to speak out, and will it be possible to safely or legally do so by that point?