‘Stop Brexit Man’ cleared of flouting ban on playing music near Parliament

An activist known as Stop Brexit Man has been cleared of flouting a police ban after playing anti-Conservative and anti-Brexit edits of The Muppet Show and Darth Vader’s theme outside Parliament.

Steve Bray, 56, was playing music on March 20 last year before then-prime minister Rishi Sunak arrived for Prime Minister’s Questions.

On Monday, 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 “re prohibited activities in Parliament Square” at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Thumbs up

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 Bray on the traffic island at around 11.20am, minutes before Mr Sunak arrived ahead of Prime Minister’s Questions, 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 at City of London Magistrates’ Court was told.

Bray, from Port Talbot, South Wales, who represented himself, 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.

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”, the activist told the court.

Map

His trial previously heard Bray had told police their map, illustrating where he could not use the speakers, was incorrect.

Body-worn footage featured 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He said it was outdated and officers would learn that by asking someone higher up in the chain of command.

When told he was not allowed to play there, Bray stuck his fingers in his ears and said: “No it’s not, it’s not, not here – it’s not wrong here”, the court heard.

“I know what I can’t do”, he said, suggesting officers stick it “where the sun don’t shine” before lighting a cigarette and looking away.

Several witnesses described to the court the negative impact of Bray’s music, heard as high as the sixth floor in nearby buildings, after which the defendant apologised.

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 when Mr Sunak announced the general election in the pouring rain last May.