London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

British police try to silence 'Stop Brexit' protester Steve Bray

British police try to silence 'Stop Brexit' protester Steve Bray

British police using new powers took away audio speakers from demonstrator Steve Bray, who is known for shouting "Stop Brexit" at lawmakers outside parliament and sometimes disrupting live news reports with his pro-European Union banners.
Bray has been a regular presence at Westminster for the last five years, playing protest songs and confronting lawmakers from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative party, which led Britain out of the European Union.

As he attempted to set up on Tuesday, Bray said he was surrounded by about 20 police officers who took away his speakers using powers under a law which had come into force at midnight.

Bray said police cited the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act to say he could not conduct a "noisy protest" within a designated area outside parliament.

"We did everything we could to hang on to them, but more and more police came and there is only so long you can hold on to something," Bray told Reuters.

The police said Bray's audio speakers were seized after he was repeatedly warned to stop using the equipment in an area where it is banned. The police said he had been reported for the offence, which means he will be considered for prosecution.

Bray said that when police asked, he gave his name and address as "Mickey Mouse, 10 Downing Street" - a reference to the British prime minister's official residence.

Bray regularly plays songs including "Bye Bye Boris" - to the tune of "Bye Bye Baby" by the Bay City Rollers - and ABBA's "Money, Money, Money".

He first became known several years ago for creeping into view behind television correspondents' live shots in front of parliament, brandishing signs protesting Britain's decision to pull out of the EU. As fast as producers could cut away, Bray would scamper around to a new angle, and get back in the frame.

Bray said the police's attempt to silence him was a worrying precedent.

"We should all be defending everyone's rights to protest," he said. "We are not changing anything, more people need to realise what is going on, it is not about our protests, it is about all protests."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×