Agbetu emerged on the international stage on 27 March 2007, during a Westminster Abbey church service held to recognize the 200th anniversary of Great Britain‘s Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807. Queen Elizabeth II was in attendance at the commemorative event, which marked the British government’s decision to end the Atlantic Slave Trade, although slavery in British colonies would continue until 1834.[2][3]
In a dramatic display, Agbetu slipped past security guards at the 2007 service and strode into the open area in front of the church altar, standing three metres away from the queen and shouting that the service was an insult to those of African heritage. In subsequent interviews he called the service a self-congratulatory exercise for those who promote oppression and those who continued to prevent the social and intellectual freedom of oppressed peoples. As reported in major media, he yelled at the queen: “‘You should be ashamed. We should not be here. This is an insult to us. I want all the Christians who are Africans to walk out of here with me!'”[4] He was wrestled to the floor by security guards and removed from the church.
Subsequently, a storm of media interest erupted, much of it negative.[5] The Crown Prosecution Service advised that no charges be brought against him.[6] Agbetu’s intervention has been described as “an iconic moment in the modern history of African emancipation struggles”.[7] Agbetu himself later explained in The Guardian what happened from his perspective: