Protesters bombarded the gates of Buckingham Palace Saturday afternoon, shouting "pedophile" and "leave our kids alone" to reportedly protest child trafficking.
The group converged at the Parliament Square before walking toward the Queen's official residence. The protesters had placards and slogans aimed at the royal family, and their video has gone viral on the internet.
According to reports, the protest was organized via the Facebook group Freedom For The Children Global Walk London. Simultaneous rallies were reportedly also held in Manchester and Liverpool.
The group stated on its Facebook page that they want to raise awareness on the incidence of child exploitation within the community. They have called for government reforms to ensure the decline of these cases.
Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, is the central figure in the protesters' call for reforms. The Duke of York, who stepped down from his royal duties in November 2019, was accused of sexually exploiting a minor nearly two decades ago.
The victim, Virginia Giuffre, said that she was part of a sex trafficking ring orchestrated by Prince Andrew's friend, billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of prostituting underage girls in 2008 but was released from prison a few years later.
In 2019, Epstein killed himself while awaiting another trial. In July, the FBI arrested his alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is also Prince Andrew's friend. Maxwell is now facing trial for sex trafficking and remains in jail without bail during the legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, one witness said that the protest in London was a peaceful walk. The group also meditated at the London Eye after bombarding Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, the prime minister's official residence.
Queen Elizabeth was not in Buckingham Palace to witness the rally. Due to the coronavirus threat, Her Majesty had been isolating at Windsor Castle until late July.
The monarch is currently at her Balmoral, Scotland estate with Prince Philip and the rest of the royal family. It's unclear if Prince Andrew has seen his mother at the summer estate. Reports stated that Queen Elizabeth will return to Windsor Castle around October and will only visit Buckingham Palace for a few royal engagements.
However, Metro reported that the group behind the protest is tied to the anti-mask group Stand Up X, which also protested against the lockdown and the wearing of face masks in the U.K. The same group also figured in a shouting match with shoppers at a Morrisons Supermarket.
