Steve Bray was confronted by police near Parliament Square
Steve Bray – commonly known as the ‘Stop Brexit’ man – had his pair of amplifiers forcibly seized by the police near Parliament Square on Tuesday.
The pro-EU campaigner has been playing loud music and rambling abuse at politicians for years, often cropping up in news bulletins with placards and donning his familiar top hat.
He recently confronted Dominic Raab outside government offices in Millbank, asking the man in charge of justice what it is “like to be a crook”.
Dominic Raab just now at Millbank. Accuses me of libel… I didn’t call him a crook!!! pic.twitter.com/gD95YsgVZu
— GET TORIES DONE – GENERAL ELECTION NOW! (@snb19692) June 22, 2022
And he’s had one or two skirmishes with Lee Anderson over the years.
MPs should not use mental health tropes when responding to criticism.
Being ‘sectioned’ is a very traumatic experience and has a huge impact on the lives of people and their families.
Lee Anderson should apologise. pic.twitter.com/90lmoPh9cj
— Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (@DrRosena) June 8, 2022
But his days of noisy protests may soon be over after new protest laws came into force.
Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which came into force today, Bray was told by the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday that he could not conduct a “noisy protest” within a designated area outside the Palace of Westminster.
Anti-Brexit/anti-Tory protester Steve Bray’s pair of amplifiers has been seized by police. No arrests. pic.twitter.com/QPOrPQYuWE
— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) June 28, 2022
The 52-year-old didn’t take the news well, telling polite police officers they were “a bunch of fascists” as they explained the new rules to him.
He added that he was “not a happy chap, getting harassed a lot”, before seeing a police officer filming the scene and shouting ‘up yours Priti Patel’ at the camera.
Bray later filmed himself approaching a car carrying Health Secretary Sajid Javid, tweeting: “I’m not relenting or stopping. Nothing has changed.”
Part 3 The police are harassing hell out of this protest today. pic.twitter.com/agtdiku7IF
— GET TORIES DONE – GENERAL ELECTION NOW! (@snb19692) June 28, 2022
Nineteen Eighty-Four quotes assemble!
The new laws are to tackle the likes of Insulate Britain and who’ve caused huge disruption by blocking roads. But it defines excessive noise as “having a significant impact on people or causing serious disruption to the activities of organisations in the vicinity”. @LBC
— Charlotte Lynch (@charlotterlynch) June 28, 2022
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