The Daily Telegraph

Ban on carrying eggs for activist after pelting of King

- By Victoria Ward

A STUDENT arrested on suspicion of pelting the King and Queen Consort with eggs has been banned from carrying eggs in a public place.

However, Patrick Thelwell, 23, who was detained in York on Wednesday, demanded the right to do his grocery shopping.

Mr Thelwell is alleged to have targeted the royals as they greeted wellwisher­s at Micklegate Bar, throwing four eggs and yelling that the country was built “on the blood of slaves”.

He was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence before being released on bail at 10pm that evening. He is due in court on Dec 1.

The climate activist said his bail conditions were quite “amusing.”

They include not going within 500m of the King and not possessing eggs in a public place, he told The Mirror.

However, he said he had the latter clause amended so he could do his grocery shopping.

Onlookers shouted “shame on you” and “God save the King” as Mr Thelwell was bundled to the ground by police.

However, he expressed surprise about the strength of feeling within the crowd, claiming that “people lost their minds.” He said they were “literally screaming and wailing with pure rage. Saying that my head should be on a spike, that I should be murdered on the spot.”

Asked why he had targeted the King, who has campaigned against climate change for decades, he replied: “If that is what we take as someone who has done the most for climate change it shows you how low the bar is.

‘People were screaming and wailing with pure rage. Saying that my head should be on a spike’

“I did what I did because I don’t believe in kings. I believe in the equality of all people.”

He said he has spoken to his mother, a teacher, since his release and said she was “concerned” about him but was OK. “It’s not our first rodeo,” he added.

The King and Queen Consort were not hit by the eggs and continued their day of engagement­s in Yorkshire apparently unfazed.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed yesterday that a 23-year-old suspect arrested on suspicion of a public order offence had been interviewe­d and bailed.

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