A barrister who was stopped by police for holding up a 'blank piece of paper' outside Parliament amid a string of arrests of anti-monarchy protesters says he has become a republican in the past week. Paul Powlesland, who also describes himself as a climate activist, filmed his interaction with an officer who claimed that the sign “may offend” people if he wrote “not my King” on it.
He argues that people should be allowed to protest peacefully, and said that he had the right to make his views known in "very polite" terms as the King addressed parliament for the first time. Speaking to GMB on Tuesday morning, Mr Powlesland said he objected to someone "proclaiming himself King" and making him his "subject".
Mr Powlesland said he was threatened with arrest, writing on Twitter: “Just went to Parliament Square and held up a blank piece of paper. Officer came and asked for my details. He confirmed that if I wrote ‘Not My King’ on it, he would arrest me under the Public Order Act because someone might be offended.”
