Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II turns London routine upside down

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Going to central London in recent days has taken patience and planning. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on the 8th, crowds have been circulating near Buckingham Palace, and the volume of flowers at the gates has been so high that authorities are asking people to leave their bouquets in the park next door.

A few minutes away, in the Parliament area, the queue to visit Westminster Hall, where the coffin with the monarch’s body is located, reached more than 24 hours. Because of the long wait, more than 700 people have already needed medical attention.

With blocked streets, driving is no easy task. The City Council asks that the preference be for public transport, but not even London’s excellent subway system is handling the overcrowding. Stations close without notice, depending on the flow of passengers, and sometimes you have to walk more than a kilometer to the nearest one.

The turmoil is alleviated by the kindness of those involved in organizing the funeral, such as police and security guards who answer visitors’ questions. For the hundreds of thousands of people who have arrived in London in recent days, paying respects to the longest-serving monarch in UK history is not a sacrifice, but satisfaction.

In addition to the tourist attractions, the routine is normal. Pubs and restaurants are full, schools, cinemas and nightclubs are open. There is no traffic, and public transport works.

The exception will be the day of the state funeral and burial of the monarch, Monday (19), when King Charles III declared a national holiday. There are a lot of people bothered by the level of restrictions.

In Heathrow, the main airport of the English capital, flights were canceled when the procession with the coffin walked the streets of the city last Wednesday (14) so ​​that even the sky was silent. Something similar should happen next Monday.

After receiving criticism, British Cycling, the body responsible for the sport in the country, backed down and apologized after asking people to refrain from cycling on the day of the funeral, as a sign of respect.

Cycling, a passion of the British and one of the main means of transport for work or leisure, was also the subject of controversy in the city of Norwich, north of London. Local authorities posted notices saying that between September 9 and 21, a bicycle parking lot would be closed. The reason was the proximity to a place where the public was leaving flowers.

The arrest of anti-monarchy protesters in events that marked the accession of King Charles III and the death of the monarch has generated debates about the right to freedom of expression. In London, a woman holding a sign reading “Not My King” was pulled by police outside Parliament.

In Oxford, a man was arrested for shouting “who elected you?” during the king’s proclamation. A young man was arrested in Edinburgh, Scotland, for cursing Prince Andrew during the procession that carried the Queen’s body. In recent days, the hashtag #NotMyKing has become one of the trending topics on twitter in the UK.

Republic, a group that defends the end of the monarchy, condemned the events of the last few days. “Freedom of expression is fundamental to any democracy,” said executive director Graham Smith. “Charles may have inherited the crown, but not the deference and respect his mother had.”

London’s Metropolitan Police wrote in a statement that “people have the right to freedom of expression”, but that it would also be necessary to “balance the rights of protesters with those of others who are grieving and wanting to reflect”.

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