Anti Brexit man silenced

Stopping demonstration is fine until you have something to demonstrate for and then find your rights have been taken away. It's a step on the journey towards facism - silence dissent.

Eroding our civil rights... there will be more and more if this group of fascists remain in power. Watch Mhairi Blacks speech on Youtube about the current government. It's called the 'F' word and its not the 'F' word you usually think about.

youtu.be/HVvQQtd_yD8

If someone disagrees with me do I just gag them? because that is basically what removing the loud speaker means. Protests involve getting the attention of others and are usually about injustice as the protester, and many others, see it.. that is what protests are about.

He is a man of conviction and courage whether you agree with him or not.

We all need to have the right to speak out and make a noise about things that we see as wrong. This right is being removed.

Don't forget this little poem by Pastor Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

Thank goodness I'm sick of his shouting what the media were thinking by standing in front of him but of course the media was against Brexit

GrammarGrandma

It took till page 2 before anyone gave him his name. He is Steve Bray.

But doesn't the fact that he is known worldwide as Mr. Brexit mean that he has actually achieved his aim? I'd say, job well done!
If he were just plain Mr Steven Bray, no one would really remember his cause.
The trouble is over exposure starts to become counter productive after a while.

katy1950

Thank goodness I'm sick of his shouting what the media were thinking by standing in front of him but of course the media was against Brexit

The vast majority of UK newspapers, read by well over 80% of newspaper readers , actively campaigned for brexit. This was also true of most of our braodcasters particularly the BBC who relentlessly promoted Farage for years.

I agree. What will be taken from us next.
We fought for freedom of speech. Have we learned nothing from history. Our Grandmothers demonstrated to get us free speech and the vote and be educated and so very much more.
If we loose the freedom to demonstrate whatever next. Will we loose the vote because we didn’t care?
‘Oh he’s too noisy’. Really!!!!

He hasn't lost the freedom to demonstrate though has he and I was also sick of hearing him shouting in the background during the course of interviews, even when what was being discussed was nothing to do with Brexit.

LovelyLady

I agree. What will be taken from us next?
Seems the right to say only women have female body parts has already been taken.
I wish Mr Brexit would get out his megaphone in support of female rights!

katy1950

Thank goodness I'm sick of his shouting what the media were thinking by standing in front of him but of course the media was against Brexit

Hah - which media would that be ? Not the influential daily Mail or the majority of other papers

Yes indeed.

Sorry haven’t posted for a long while. So have forgotten everything. I agree with all those who support Mr Brexit (Steve Bray). He actions are supported by those who donate to the crowdfund because he’s a symbol of our right to free speech & protest. I do think these freedoms are for the chop by our current government.

In order to protest, it is not necessary to be noisy.

So no, I cannot see this particular incident as an infringement of the general public's right to protest or otherwise express an opinion.

That said, I agree that the new public order bill may well be capable of misuse.

But on the other hand we are all expected to obey the law, both in public and in private.

If this man instead of using a megaphone had protested by taking off his clothes under a placard stating "Brexit will strip us all naked" surely you would have expected him to be charged with indecent exposure?

@lizzydrip
I hope he buys a loud whistle.

And how does he find the finance?

Steve Bray is crowdfunded by many ordinary people who agree with him that brexit was a disastrous mistake.

He has not been "silenced" - he can still carry on with his ridiculous protest, just not at top volume which, by the way, made that little corner of London a place to avoid like the plague. The man needs to get a life - we voted Leave 6 years ago and officially left the EU 18 months ago - time to let it drop. Makes me laugh he claims he is being harrassed - which is exactly what he does to various MPs and officials on a daily basis. Pot, kettle, black much?

varian Think you must have been living in a different country - the BBC were rabidly pro-remain, as were Channel 4 and Sky, although I'll agree with your point about the newspapers being mostly pro-leave.

Saetana

varian Think you must have been living in a different country - the BBC were rabidly pro-remain, as were Channel 4 and Sky, although I'll agree with your point about the newspapers being mostly pro-leave.

You obviously never watched Question Time in the run up to the election. Or in the years following it.Full of rabid brexiteers.

I have been saying for at least a year that we are quietly sleepwalking our way to a fascist dictatorship. This government believes, with the majority of seats.
it enjoys, to pass any law it thinks is to its advantage. And before anybody tells me we have a democracy, twelve years of a government with a minority of popular votes, means the majority have no voice. Our best hope is with the young people, who have been denied freedom of movement around Europe. They will have a vote at the next election when hopefully PR will be on the table for serious consideration. Our 'first past the post' system of electing a government is seriously flawed.

The coalition government of 2010 -15 was based on the majority of votes as the Cons had 36% and LibDems 23%. However if we'd had PR it would have been possible to form a LibDem/ Lab coalition as the Labour Party got 29?% but under FPTP that was not possible because of the disproportionate relationship between votes and seats

He can still protest but not with a megaphone. He will just have to shout louder .

Just to reiterate: this really isn’t about Steve Bray. This is about this dictatorial authoritarian government removing oriole’s rights to make a noise (and other rights) while protesting.

It is an affront to democratic norms.

we are, nominally at least, living in a democracy. The police do not make up the laws, Parliament does and the police uphold it. Of course, if you pass a bill at half past midnight, as happened recently .... First they came for Brexit man ...

Silly man, glad he’s gone, what about our freedom to listen to the the people he’s shouting over. Doesn’t matter what the public think I suppose as long as he bawled everyone out.

reports.