Thousands in UK protest against Boris Johnson’s move to suspend parliament ahead of Brexit deadline

Crowds have gathered across Britain to protest against the prime minister’s suspension of parliament, with some saying it threatens democracy

Johnson has pledged to take Britain out of the European Union on October 31, with or without a deal

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Anti Brexit protesters outside Downing Street in London. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:25pm, 31 Aug 2019Updated: 11:25pm, 31 Aug 2019

Thousands of people across Britain and Northern Ireland protested on Saturday against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament for about a month before the deadline for the country to leave the European Union.

Johnson has pledged to take Britain out of the EU on October 31 with or without a deal on future relations with the bloc. The move to shut parliament for around a month in the period before that will hinder efforts by his opponents to stop him.

Anti-Brexit protesters in London. Photo: Reuters

About 2,000 people gathered outside his office in Downing Street, chanting: “Liar Johnson, shame on you!”A sign read: “#StopTheCoup. Defend our Democracy. Save our future.”

The government says it is usual for parliament to be suspended before a new prime minister outlines his policy programme in a Queen’s speech, now scheduled for October 14. His supporters also say parliament usually breaks in late September, when the main political parties hold their annual conferences.

But his critics say the suspension, known as a prorogation, is unusually long and describe the move as a thinly veiled attempt to reduce the time that lawmakers will have to debate before Britain leaves the EU at the end of October.

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