In the past week, there have been several arrests of people opposing the monarchy. Whatever your views on the monarchy, it is vital that our freedom of speech is protected, at all times. 

A 22-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with a “breach of the peace” after the Duke of York was heckled during the procession of the Queen's coffin in Edinburgh. A 22-year-old woman was arrested and charged for a “breach of the peace” after holding up a sign at an accession proclamation for the King a day earlier. On the same day someone else was arrested after shouting "Who elected him?" during another accession proclamation in Oxford. 

Freedom of speech and democracy are not gifts from the state - when miscarriages of justice like this materialise we have to push back hard to ensure this behaviour isn't tolerated in the future.  

I am troubled by the grotesque wealth of the royal family, particularly during this appalling cost of living crisis. This inequality is laid bare when people are arrested for protesting the existence of the monarchy. While I do not agree with the existence of the monarchy, I respect the views of those who do. Most importantly, we must come together to protect our fundamental right to protest, regardless of the national context.