A 23-year-old man was arrested in North Yorkshire, England, Wednesday after throwing eggs at King Charles III.
According to the North Yorkshire police, the king was on a royal visit to Micklegate Bar, a medieval stone gate in York.
“The man has been interviewed and released on police bail,” authorities said of the arrestee. They did not provide his name.
The York Press reported that the protestor started booing and throwing eggs at Charles while he and Queen Consort Camilla “were being welcomed to the city by local dignitaries.”
Police restrained the suspect on the ground behind temporary fencing shortly after the eggs were thrown. He was heard yelling “this country was built on the blood of slaves.”
He was handcuffed and had his legs bound before being put in the back of a police van.
None of the eggs hit the king, and instead lay broken on the ground nearby his feet. Charles – who recently became king following the death of his mother, longest reigning British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, in September – and Camilla were quickly ushered away.
Although there was an outpouring of grief after the death of the queen, it also “revived longstanding criticism in the U.S. over the monarchy’s enrichment from the British empire’s violent colonization of African, Asian and Caribbean nations and their diasporas,” The Guardian reported.
Per The York Press, the protestor is a student of the University of York, and the school has said it is “appalled” by images of the egg pelting. It plans to investigate the incident in line with its misconduct procedures, said the outlet.
A witness cited by the BBC said the protestor managed to throw about five eggs.
“Charles continued shaking hands with dignitaries including the Lord Mayor as the eggs flew in his direction, pausing briefly to look at the shells cracked on the ground,” according to The Press. Others in the crowd chanted “God save the King” and “shame on you” at the protester.
The king and queen consort were in Yorkshire for a two-day visit that included multiple engagements, including the unveiling of a statue of Queen Elizabeth II. According to The Press, it is the first to be installed since her passing.
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