About 20 people have announced that they are regaining Edinburgh Castle, refusing to leave one of Scotland’s most famous tourist attractions. This was announced by the BBC, citing the organization that manages the historic building.
The group entered the castle on Tuesday afternoon, refusing to pay the entrance fee for its examination, and then refused to leave.
In a Facebook video, a woman claims they are reclaiming the castle under Article 61 of the Magna Carta, an 800-year-old document guaranteeing the rights of the aristocracy and the people to the royal family. She says that “the castle belongs to the people” and that they are restoring the rights of the Scots. “The building belongs to us, we have regained the castle,” the woman said, adding that the action was aimed at “restoring the rule of law”.
Police said a police officer received minor injuries while trying to arrest one of the group.
The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 by King John of England to end the feud between the king and his barons. After the defeat of the king’s army at the Battle of Bouvin, John agreed to the document, which limited royal power and, according to British historians, marked the beginning of democratic constitutional law. With the Magna Carta, a process began that led to the enactment of the Rights Act in 1689 and the creation of a constitutional monarchy.
However, the BBC clarifies that the Magna Carta no longer has legal force with regard to Scottish law, as it precedes the Act of the Union, which created Great Britain.
Although it is one of the founding documents of English law, only four parts of the Magna Carta remain valid today. None of them allows citizens to decide which laws should apply to them.
Article 61, to which the activists refer, was repealed the year after the signing of the charter and applied only to a small group of barons, the BBC clarifies. It is often used as an excuse for protests, including health quarantines.
Edinburgh Castle is a tourist attraction owned by the Scottish Government and managed by a foundation that takes care of state property. The last royal person to live in the castle was King Charles I – in 1633. From the 17th century it was used by the military, who still hold part of the premises.
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