The Kingdom is secured: Mob of 20 anti-lockdown activists that stormed Edinburgh Castle citing Magna Carta in bid to 'overthrow the Queen' are sent packing by police

A group of anti-lockdown protesters who stormed Edinburgh Castle citing the Magna Carta has been removed.

The 20 demonstrators were dispersed after spending hours in the Scottish hill fort claiming they were 'taking our power back' and 'overthrowing the Queen'.

One man was arrested for disorder related offences and a police officer had minor injuries during the arrest.

The group claimed their actions were justified by Article 61 of the Magna Carta - a phrase used by lockdown sceptics to justify ignoring coronavirus restrictions.

The 61st clause of the medieval charter of rights briefly gave 25 named barons the power to 'assail' the monarch.

It lasted a year from 1215 to 1216 before being expunged from subsequent revisions of the document, which has never held any legal power in Scotland anyway.

But it failed to concern the protesters, who documented their stand in a 13-minute Facebook livestream video yesterday afternoon.

A group of around 20 people (pictured left) was seen at Edinburgh Castle in a Facebook Live video on Tuesday afternoon, with Police Scotland confirming officers were still in attendance hours later

In the 13-minute clip, a woman says the castle (pictured on July 23 this year) 'belongs to the people' and that they are 'taking our power back'

Edinburgh Castle: A royal house, military garrison, a prison and a fortress of the rock

Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe and has been a royal residence, military garrison, a prison and fortress. The building itself was built at the start of the 12th century during the reign of David I.

But it did not look as it does today - it started as a hill fort and it was reinforced and developed over the years. There have been a number of sieges at the rock, with the Wars of Independence seeing its owners change multiple times.

The Scots retook the castle from the English in 1314 following a night raid led by Thomas Randolph, who was nephew of Robert the Bruce. Queen Margaret - later to become a saint - died at the site and the chapel was built in her honour by her son.

Meanwhile workers created the Great Hall for King James IV in 1511, yet he died just two years later during the Battle of Flodden. The forces that killed him were sent by his English brother-in-law - the notorious Henry VIII.

Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI in the Royal Palace in 1566. He went on to be king of Scotland at 13 months old and united the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603.

Superintendent Gerry Corrigan, Police Scotland said 'Officers attended at Edinburgh Castle following reports that a group of protesters had gathered within the Castle grounds at around 5.05pm on Tuesday, 17 August, 2021.

'The group later dispersed. One man was arrested for disorder related offences and a police officer sustained minor injuries during this arrest.

'A full report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.'

Social media footage showed a police constable asking one of the organisers: 'How many more people are you expecting to come to Edinburgh Castle today to join your protest?'

When she tells him 'it's not a protest, we're actually taking it back', he replies: 'Right, no worries.'

The group declared Magna Carta 'the only law in the land' and told passersby the Scottish people had been 'lied to all our lives'. They added the building 'belongs to us' and said they had 'taken it back' in an effort to 'restore the rule of law'.

Another man then says: 'Treason's been going on for that long now, we can't sit back and let everybody perish under the stupid legislation and fraudulent government tyranny, so let's just take it all back, not just the castle.'

The woman then speaks again calling for 'no more enslavement' and the 'people and commonwealth are going to be free'.

She tells viewers they are going to 'take everybody down', including government, the courts and 'the crown is coming down today'.

After saying the group is 'putting we, the people, back into power', a second man adds: 'We are the people.'

The woman also claims 'corrupt, evil, satanic paedophiles are running this country' and Scots have been kept 'like peasants for 800 years'.

The woman says she has put Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone 'on notice' about them taking the castle.

At one stage the police officer asks the woman for her name, to which she says she is 'not obliged' to give, before identifying herself anyway.

A member of staff at the castle, left, and an officer at the landmark, right. A Police Scotland spokesman said on Tuesday evening: 'Officers are currently in attendance at Edinburgh Castle and are engaging with a group of people who have gathered within the castle grounds'

The castle pictured in the Facebook Live video. A spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland added: 'A group of around 20 individuals entered Edinburgh Castle this evening without payment'

A Police Scotland spokesman said Tuesday night: 'Officers are currently in attendance at Edinburgh Castle and are engaging with a group of people who have gathered within the castle grounds.'

A spokesman for Historic Environment Scotland added: 'A group of around 20 individuals entered Edinburgh Castle this evening without payment.

'After refusing requests to leave the premises Police Scotland were called to the site and are dealing with the matter. There are no other visitors currently on site.'

What is the Magna Carta?

The reinstalled original Magna Carta inside the medieval Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral

King John issued the Magna Carta after agreeing peace terms with a band of rebel barons and it is now one of the world's most celebrated legal documents.

Many people believed King John to be one of the worst kings in history after he imprisoned his former wife, starved opponents to death and murdered his nephew.

He also imposed heavy taxes on his barons for expensive wars and if they refused to pay he punished them.

But the barons demanded he obey by the law and captured London so King John was forced to negotiate.

The two sides met at Runnymede in June 1215 and they wrote the Magna Carter.

It established for the first time that neither monarch nor government was above the law and set out principles of liberty which echoed through the centuries.

The most famous clause, which is still the law today, gave all ‘free men’ the right to justice and a fair trial.

Two other clauses are still in force today - the freedom of the English Church and the ancient liberties of the City of London.

King John died of dysentery in 1216 and nine year old Henry III took to the throne.

Magna Carta was reissued several times during the 13th century, until it was finally made part of English law.

The ancient document has lived on for 800 years, and is used in the United States Declaration of Independence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Source: British Library