William and Kate Accused of Benefiting From Slavery on First Day of Jamaica Tour
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Prince William and Kate Middleton have been greeted by protesters demanding an apology and reparations for slavery in Jamaica, where they have started a high-profile royal tour aimed at celebrating the queen’s platinum jubilee. The visit has actually served to intensify calls for the island nation to drop the queen as head of state, with some reports claiming the process of becoming a republic will begin directly after the couple departs. Protesters, led by a group called the Advocates Network, gathered outside the British High Commission in Kingston, where the couple were entertained by local dignitaries for dinner Tuesday evening. Opal Adisa, a retired professor in her sixties, told Sky News: “Kate and William are beneficiaries, so they are, in fact, complicit because they are positioned to benefit specifically from our ancestors, and we’re not benefiting from our ancestors.” The couple received a rock-star welcome, however, as they played drums in Trench Town, visited Bob Marley’s house, and met the legendary Jamaican bobsleigh team featured in the movie Cool Runnings.