Comment

Take to the streets tomorrow to defend our democracy

by Sebastian O'Meara | 06.09.2019
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • +1
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Email

“We need to protect our institutions. We should not be shut down or bullied.” That was Gina Miller today outside the London court that had just ruled that Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks is legal. We’ll find out more when the Supreme Court takes up the case on September 17.*

Parliament of course has reacted to Johnson’s attempt to muzzle it and crash us out of the EU while MPs are on an enforced break, taking dramatic steps to require the prime minister to ask for extra time. Since the opposition parties have decided to refuse Johnson’s increasingly desperate request to hold an election on October 15, the sovereign will of Parliament to avoid a no-deal crash-out Brexit at least for the time being will have been enacted.

But that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods. Johnson continues to insist that he won’t be asking the EU for an extension as the new legislation will mandate him to do, and there’s no telling what new dirty tricks his gilet-wearing Svengali, Dominic Cummings, will pull out of the bag in coming weeks.

Even though Parliament has rallied to mitigate the effects of its own suspension, that doesn’t reduce the outrage we should be feeling at the direction in which this government is taking our country’s politics. It’s not just Parliament and campaigners like Miller that should be taking up the strain. We need to take to the streets to get our voices heard, to show this government that much as Parliament will not be silenced, nor will the people. The more of us turn out, the harder it becomes to insist that the “will of the people” was revealed only once, in June 2016. 

So join us in Parliament Square at 2pm tomorrow to Defend our Democracy and give us a voice in the Brexit debacle. Or if you’re not in London, go to one of 35 other demos elsewhere. 

(*Edit: The court date was updated shortly after publication.)

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • +1
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Email

One Response to “Take to the streets tomorrow to defend our democracy”

  • As well as the listed events, Edinburgh 4 Europe will be demonstrating and providing support and info on Saturday 7 Sept, 11am to 1pm, Foot of The Mound, Edinburgh. Vigil for a PV will continue every Wednesday 5-6pm at same location.