- Title: “Stop the coup!â€, protesters denounce plans to suspend UK parliament
- Date: 28th August 2019
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 28, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** PROTESTERS WALKING INTO MEDIA AREA OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING (English): "STOP THE COUP" BRITISH JOURNALIST HOLDING MICROPHONE CHANTING (English): "STOP THE COUP" PLACARD READING (English): "DOWN WITH THE ENGLISH DICKTATOR" PROTESTER CHANTING (English): "STOP THE COUP" PLACARD READING (English): "WHAT HAPPENED TO DEMOCRACY" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, NATASHA WOOD, SAYING: "Whatever side you're on, whether you're Tory, whether you're Labour, whether you're a Liberal, whether you're Leave, Remain, you should be very, very concerned about this. I'm so angry, I'm not an angry person, I've never protested about anything before in my life. But it has just got worse and worse and worse and now we have to get serious about it, stop just carrying on with our normal lives. This is taking away our rights that people in many wars fought for." PROTESTER HOLDING PLACARD READING (English): "10th SEPT DEFEND OUR MPS" PROTESTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE UK PARLIAMENT 10 EU FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, DYLAN BUTLIN, SAYING: "Well, we're here to fight for our democracy. I believe that whether you're pro-Brexit or anti-Brexit we need to fight for what's ours. Democracy is so important, it's taught from such a young age as such a vital thing about being a British person and today just completely ruins that, tramples it and throws it out." PLACARD READING (English): "DEFEND DEMOCRACY, STOP BORIS! STOP BREXIT!" POSTER READING (English): "#STOP THE COUP" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, MARION SHARPLES, SAYING: "I just think it's incredibly disrespectful that he, that Boris Johnson, that the government think that it can be passed on as normal practice. It's absolutely a tactic to limit the amount of time that MPs have to debate this and to push back a no-deal Brexit and take back control. We're here to take back that phrase, it's just mad that take back control was so much of the movement behind this, behind the Brexit campaign and one of the first things that Boris Johnson has done as prime minister is to suspend parliamentary democracy and I think it's really scary." UK PARLIAMENT / PROTESTERS GATHERED NEARBY VARIOUS OF PROTESTER HOLDING FRAME WITH IMAGE OF BORIS JOHNSON'S FACE, READING (English): "BOLLOCKS TO BREXIT" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SINGING (English): "WHERE'S YOUR MANDATE GONE" PLACARD READING (English): "BOLLOX TO BORIS" EU FLAGS
- Embargoed: 11th September 2019 19:28
- Keywords: BREXIT UNITED KINGDOM BORIS JOHNSON DEMOCRACY PARLIAMENTARY SOVEREIGNTY PROTEST STOP THE COUP Prime Minister Boris Johnson will suspend Britain's parliament for more than a month before Brexit
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AU4WDHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the British parliament on Wednesday (August 28) to denounce Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Britain's parliament for more than a month before Brexit.
The move, which had to be approved by Queen Elizabeth, limits the time opponents have to derail a disorderly Brexit, but also increases the chance that Johnson could face a vote of no-confidence in his government, and possibly an election.
Protesters chanted "stop the coup" as they waved EU flags and held placards criticizing Johnson's move.
While suspending parliament ahead of a Queen's Speech is the historical norm in Britain, the decision to limit parliamentary scrutiny weeks before the country's most contentious policy decision in decades prompted an immediate outcry.
In a sign that Johnson's move had marked a significant escalation in the long-running dispute, a group of cross-party lawmakers sought a legal injunction and the speaker of parliament said the nation's democratic process was at risk.
(Production: Alex Fraser, Iona Serrapica) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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