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Anti Brexit man silenced

(125 Posts)
LizzieDrip Wed 29-Jun-22 13:46:37

The man who has been protesting against Brexit and the Conservatives outside the House of Commons for 6 years has had his speaker confiscated by the police. This is now allowed under the new public order bill which states that the police have powers to stop a public protest if it is deemed ‘too noisy’! Is this the thin end of the wedge. Have we, in effect, lost our right to freedom of speech and to protest? This government does not like to be challenged (particularly by us plebs) so they have simply changed the law to make it fit their view. Another nail in the coffin of democracy! Why aren’t we out on the streets protesting - quietly of courseangry.

Visgir1 Wed 29-Jun-22 16:10:28

Joseanne

Does he not have a proper job? He's only early 50s. How does he find the time?

My thoughts too.

Did anyone see the clip on Twitter of the French Police with the Protester who stuck his hands to the Road? Ouch not gentle.

volver Wed 29-Jun-22 16:14:17

He's a former soldier. Perhaps he's retired.

LizzieDrip Wed 29-Jun-22 16:15:09

Remember the images of brave Russians in Moscow protesting against the invasion of Ukraine - they were rounded up and arrested. Disagree with the government; go out on streets and voice your disagreement; get arrested!

Urmstongran Wed 29-Jun-22 16:15:39

Joseanne

Does he not have a proper job? He's only early 50s. How does he find the time?

I read (somewhere) that the Remain campaigners - or Rejoiners or whatever - funded him & his loudhailer Joseanne.if I remember rightly he lives in South Wales.

Here he is.
Steve Bray. (Quite an apt surname when you think about it).

MayBee70 Wed 29-Jun-22 16:20:25

He isn’t just protesting about brexit now, though. He’s protesting about having a lying corrupt government. As has been pointed out a man is banned from protesting outside a parliament that has voted to break international law ( at least one Conservative MP has said he agreed it was breaking international law but voted for it anyway). Andrea Leadsome said his protest was violent. You will never meet a less violent man than Steve. Although he did defend Anna Soubry one day when the police didn’t seem to be bothered….and how come the noise Steve makes annoys the Met police who turned a blind eye ( or deaf ear) to what was happening in No 10.

LizzieDrip Wed 29-Jun-22 16:23:09

???Thank you MayBe

MaizieD Wed 29-Jun-22 16:23:22

It was his amplifiers that were removed, not his megaphone.

Sadly for those who think he's a lone voice he has thousands of followers on twitter (and no doubt elsewhere) and his crowdfunder to help pay for any legal costs has gone through the roof in the space of 24 hours.

He's not annoyin' every one grin

Chestnut Wed 29-Jun-22 16:23:28

Intrusive noise is something that can make life a misery so I applaud anything that stops that happening. We still have the privilege of free speech but we do not have the right to endlessly irritate everyone in the vicinity.

Robin49 Wed 29-Jun-22 16:28:55

Chestnut

Intrusive noise is something that can make life a misery so I applaud anything that stops that happening. We still have the privilege of free speech but we do not have the right to endlessly irritate everyone in the vicinity.

Well said.

Germanshepherdsmum Wed 29-Jun-22 16:32:59

Spot on Chestnut. And ‘making a lot of noise’ isn’t necessarily literally being noisy.

Riverwalk Wed 29-Jun-22 16:54:22

MayBee70

He isn’t just protesting about brexit now, though. He’s protesting about having a lying corrupt government. As has been pointed out a man is banned from protesting outside a parliament that has voted to break international law ( at least one Conservative MP has said he agreed it was breaking international law but voted for it anyway). Andrea Leadsome said his protest was violent. You will never meet a less violent man than Steve. Although he did defend Anna Soubry one day when the police didn’t seem to be bothered….and how come the noise Steve makes annoys the Met police who turned a blind eye ( or deaf ear) to what was happening in No 10.

Hear hear!

Andrea Leadsom really is silly but I don't expect much else from her - I've been near him many times and he's very amiable, and inventive smile

Callistemon21 Wed 29-Jun-22 17:52:43

He can protest all he likes but did anyone really take any notice of him?

He has no spark, there's nothing exciting about his voice, he is like a magnolia-painted wall now - just utterly, utterly boring.

RichmondPark Wed 29-Jun-22 18:14:20

Andrea Leadsom saying he was violent was an outright lie.

varian Wed 29-Jun-22 18:21:07

Steve Bray does have a proper job - it is to protest against the appalling unpatriotic Putin supported Brexit which has done so much damage to our country.

Steve Bray is a patriot, unlike those who knowingly or unknowingly inflicted this damage on us.

His work of protesting against Brexit is crowdfunded by patriots.

The majority of UK citizens are now realising how much damage the lying Leave campaign, led by Boris Joihnson and supported by Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Marine le Pen, has done to our country.

LizzieDrip Wed 29-Jun-22 20:11:31

Varian couldn’t agree more! ???

Urmstongran Wed 29-Jun-22 20:14:37

Agree Calli he’s like wallpaper now. I’m adept at zoning out when he’s mouthing off in the background. Even when he had his amplifiers.

RichmondPark Wed 29-Jun-22 21:58:13

The irony is that this action was to stop noisy protest outside of parliament whilst inside we have tolerate a boorish mob of men guffawing, jeering and shouting down Angela Rayner. (And winking at her, but that's another story)

The MPs trying to stop noisy protest are doing so because they recognise its power, which they use themselves to great effect.

MayBee70 Thu 30-Jun-22 00:13:33

Seeing Steve on tv gives me faith that there are actually still some decent people out there. One of my friends travelled down to meet him yesterday and I wish I could have gone with her.

growstuff Thu 30-Jun-22 00:18:45

This action was to stoke the flames of the Conservatives' culture war. Steve Bray has been turned into a hero for some and a symbol of derision for the anti-woke brigade. Opinion is polarised and people are divided, which is precisely what Conservatives want.

vegansrock Thu 30-Jun-22 03:20:05

Why isn’t anything done to stop anti social noise like those with truly noisy neighbours or those people who drive with their music blaring so everyone can hear it- or is it just those with a political message they want to silence?

Dickens Thu 30-Jun-22 06:48:18

growstuff

This action was to stoke the flames of the Conservatives' culture war. Steve Bray has been turned into a hero for some and a symbol of derision for the anti-woke brigade. Opinion is polarised and people are divided, which is precisely what Conservatives want.

This! Exactly.

riete Thu 30-Jun-22 07:22:47

i feel inclined to take him a pack if strepsils, or fisherman's friend, to help with the sore throat he's liable to get if he has to shout.
this man is indeed a hero, reminding us that we have a voice and we can use it. personally i miss the days, way back when, when people would protest against everything they disagreed with instead of just moaning on a virtual medium.

Joseanne Thu 30-Jun-22 08:21:06

I feel inclined to take him a pack if strepsils, or fisherman's friend, to help with the sore throat he's liable to get
I'm surprised he still has a voice with all the pollen this year.

MayBee70 Thu 30-Jun-22 13:58:14

I can’t do a link but there’s nothing new about what Steve is doing. Check out Mary Maloney!

Chestnut Thu 30-Jun-22 14:45:20

I don't care what his message is. No-one is entitled to assault our eardrums with a megaphone and contribute to the stress and anxiety most people in London must feel already.