Thousands across UK protest  parliament closure

Scores of thousands of protesters took to the streets of cities across the United Kingdom on Saturday, August 31 to protest the arbitrary closure of Parliament for five weeks by  Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

They came from all age groups and multiple factions, but were united under the slogan:” stop the coup.”

The pressure group “Another Europe is possible” called 32 protests throughout the country, while Momentum, an organization attached to the left-wing of the Labour Party, called on supporters to: “occupy the bridges and block roads.”

One of the major rallies occurred in the vicinity of Downing Street, where the prime minister’s official residence is located.

Before crowds  gathered in the center of the British capital, John McDonnell,  shadow economics  minister, and the right hand, of   Labour Party  leader Jeremy Corbyn, defended the need to “fight to protect democracy.”

Johnson “wants to close our democracy and force a ‘Brexit’ without an agreement,” said McDonnell, who stressed that MP’s  must have enough time to “give their opinion on the (government) policies and the future of the country.”

Johnson has advanced his intention to close the parliamentary session during the second week of September and not start the activity again in the Palace of Westminster until October 14.

The opposition considers that Johnson intends with this step to reduce the options for parliamentarians to put obstacles to a non-negotiated exit from the European Union on October 31, the deadline established by Brussels for the United Kingdom to ratify an exit pact.

The prime minister maintains that his main objective is to obtain greater concessions in a new exit agreement, although he assures that he will break ties with Brussels on the date set, even if by then he has not been able to broker a deal.

In addition to London, protesters took to the streets today to protest against Johnson’s plans in cities such as Cardiff Manchester, Oxford, Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton, Swansea, Bristol, and Liverpool.

Economy Minister Sajid Javid, , defended Johnson’s decision, considering that “it is quite normal at this time of year for Parliament to initiate a recess.”

“It is perfectly correct and appropriate to suspend Parliament,” Javid said in an interview with BBC  Radio 4 in which he said that the beginning of a new session will allow the Government, formed at the end of July, to present its legislative program when Queen Elizabeth  II reopens the parliament. In October.

Meanwhile, three court challenges are pending including one by former Conservative  Prime Minister John Major.