Thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand an end to what they are calling a coup, this came hours after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would be suspending parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the Brexit deadline.
According to SBS News, the large crowd first gathered outside the Houses of Parliament in London, before moving on to stand outside the prime minister's residence at Number 10 Downing Street, while the hashtag #StopTheCoup trended internationally on Twitter. There were also protests planned in Edinburgh, Manchester, and Cardiff in opposition to the suspension.
Speaking at the London protest, Guardian columnist Owen Jones told the SBS News, "Our democracy was not given to us as an act of generosity and charity by the powerful. It was won through the struggle, the determination, the blood of our ancestors and we will not let our democracy, that so many people died fighting for, be usurped by an unelected, tin pot, would-be dictator."
Another protester, former BBC journalist Paul Mason, urged people to join him on the streets. "Johnson came to power through a coup within the Tory party, 140,000 people - white, aged, male, racist mainly - voted for him ... to become prime minister you have to win votes in parliament. You don't have a legislative programme unless parliament votes for it," he told SBS News.
Even actor Hugh Grant was one of many people expressing their dismay at the shutdown. Hugh Grant Tweeted saying, "You will not f*** with my children’s future. You will not destroy the freedoms my grandfather fought two world wars to defend. F*** off you over-promoted rubber bath toy. Britain is revolted by you and you little gang of masturbatory prefects."
Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday approved Prime Minister Boris Johnson's request to suspend the British Parliament for five weeks from mid-September, shortening the time available to lawmakers to block a no-deal Brexit just weeks before the deadline of October 31.
The suspension will begin no sooner than Monday (September 9) and no later than Thursday (September 12) and last until October 14, a body of senior politicians who act as the Queen's official advisers, confirmed in a statement cited by CNN. Brexit is due to happen on October 31, and Johnson has promised the UK will leave the European Union on that date with or without a deal.
The majority of parliamentarians are against a no-deal Brexit. But they will now effectively have several days -- after returning from summer break on September 3 -- to pass any legislation to prevent a withdrawal from the EU before the parliament is prorogued.
