Some in UK rally, others rail at call to Clean for the Queen

LONDON (AP) - Litter has become a weapon of class war in Britain, where a campaign urging people to "Clean for the Queen" has stirred both trash-tidying volunteers and howls of anger.

The campaign, backed by charity Keep Britain Tidy, urges people to spruce up their communities before Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, which is being marked in June.

"What better way could we show our gratitude to Her Majesty than to clean up our country?" the campaign asks on its website.

Litter-picking events are scheduled around Britain starting Friday.

But some find the idea of tidying up to honor a hereditary monarch insulting.

Graham Smith of anti-monarchy group Republic suggests the queen "put some of her fortune into cleaning the streets as a thank you for her years of privilege."