SCOTTISH Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said he was “proud” to speak at an anti-monarchy rally on Wednesday stressing that royalists “will not be the only voices that shape the future” of Scotland.
Harvie spoke at an Our Republic rally outside the Scottish Parliament as King Charles was paraded around Edinburgh after receiving the Honours of Scotland at St Giles’ Cathedral.
Anti-monarchy activists have been protesting all day at the King’s “mini coronation”, with hundreds sporting Not My King t-shirts.
Republic CEO Graham Smith was also spotted with a megaphone leading chants of "Not My King".
Harvie told the rally: “[We want] the people of Scotland to be able to choose the voice that represents them and that represents not just our past, but someone who embodies a positive, optimistic, democratic vision of our future, of the kind of Scotland we can and should be if we want to hand the best possible country to the next generation.
Patrick Harvie tells the Our Republic rally he wants Scotland to be able to choose it's head of state pic.twitter.com/M79ZDgBa7r
— Andrew Learmonth (@andrewlearmonth) July 5, 2023
“Thank you for making sure that those who seek the celebrate the monarchy are not the only voices being heard today and they will not be the only voices that shape the future of our country.”
Afterwards he said he had been “proud” to attend, adding”: “I can’t think of anything I would want to celebrate less than the unearned wealth, power and inequality that is represented by the monarchy.
“We are in the most severe cost of living crisis for decades, but we are seeing even more luxuries being lavished on some of the wealthiest people in the country
“I was proud to speak at the Our Republic protest today and will continue to campaign for an independent and democratic Scotland where power lies with the people and we elect our head of state.
“We can be a country where power lies with the people rather than with the archaic symbolism of the crown.”
