1 week Ago By The Telegraph
An activist known as “Stop Brexit Man” has been allowed to play anti-Tory music outside Parliament. On March 20 last year, Steve Bray , 56, played anti-Conservative and anti- Brexit edits of The Muppet Show and Darth Vader’s theme as Rishi Sunak arrived for Prime Minister’s Questions. On Monday, he was cleared of flouting a police ban, with a judge ruling that “how he [Mr Bray] chooses to express those views is a matter for him”.
At Westminster magistrates’ court, Mr Bray was found not guilty of failing without reasonable excuse to comply with a direction given under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 over “prohibited activities in Parliament Square”. After the verdict, the defendant, wearing a blue and white short-sleeved shirt, looked at his supporters in the public gallery, one of whom gave him a thumbs up. Police approached Mr Bray on the traffic island at about 11.
20am, minutes before Mr Sunak arrived ahead of PMQs, handed him a map and a notice that warned he is prohibited from playing the speakers in the controlled area under a by-law, the court heard. The music resumed intermittently, and shortly after 12.33pm officers seized the speakers, his trial was told.
Representing himself, Mr Bray, from Port Talbot, south Wales, denied the charge and told a previous hearing that playing music was part of his “fundamental right to protest” and that they were played “sporadically”, rather than all day. Handing down his judgement, Deputy District Judge Anthony Woodcock said of Mr Bray: “He admitted that he is ‘anti-Tory’, which is his words. “He believes his is an important message to disseminate.
He needs the volume that he uses the get the message across from Parliament Street to the Palace of Westminster.” Deputy District Judge Woodcock continued: “He says that his strategy needs pictures of him in the media and he’s spent many hours campaigning and has never been arrested, his relations with police are generally good.” “His equipment operates on battery power and is limited,” the judge added.
Of the issues Mr Bray protests about, the judge continued: “He is described, virtually, accused of being ‘fixated’ – he’s entitled to be. “How he chooses to express those views is a matter for him.” “Lampooning the government through satire is a long tradition in this country,” the judge added.
‘I know what I can’t do’ The Muppets and Darth Vader themes were used “as the prime minister came in, which is what we always did for Rishi – apparently he’s a Star Wars fan ”, Mr Bray had previously told the court. The court heard that Mr Bray had told police that their map, illustrating where he could not use the speakers, was incorrect. Bodycam footage featured Mr Bray, wearing a yellow and blue top hat, repeatedly telling police “you’ve got the wrong map”.
He said it was outdated and officers would be able to confirm this by asking colleagues higher up the chain of command. The court heard that when told he was not allowed to play there, Mr Bray stuck his fingers in his ears and said: “No, it’s not, it’s not, not here – it’s not wrong here. “I know what I can’t do,” he said, suggesting officers stick it “where the sun don’t shine”.
Several witnesses described to the court the negative impact of Mr Bray’s music, heard as high as the sixth floor in nearby buildings, after which the defendant apologised. Mr Bray is known for playing music in protest around Westminster, including D:Ream’s Things Can Only Get Better at the gates of Downing Street as Mr Sunak announced the general election in heavy rain last May..
