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

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 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.

Today is a very important day, not just for us as protesters, but for everybody's freedom of expression and their right to protest, regardless what side of the fence you're on, whatever your protest is, this is a victory for you

Mr 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.

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.”

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,” Mr Woodcock said, citing Mr Bray’s right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

“Lampooning the Government through satire is a long tradition in this country,” the judge added.

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.

Mr Bray had told police their map, illustrating where he could not use the speakers, was incorrect, the court heard.

Body-worn 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 learn that by asking someone higher up in the chain of command.

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”, 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.

Of this interaction, the judge said of Mr Bray: “Had he bothered to look at the map rather than passing it back to the officer, he would’ve seen that he was in the controlled area.”

He added that the activist should “reflect with some shame with the way he behaved towards each officer”.

Of the incident on March 20 last year and Mr Bray’s previous actions, the judge said: “It was a peaceful demonstration, it was never violent and had never been in the past.”

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.

Of the suggestion that Mr Bray’s actions intimidated those who work in Westminster, Mr Woodcock said: “I cannot take the suggestions of intimidation seriously, it’s not clear what dates they’re referring to, they’re irrelevant to the charge.”

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

Speaking outside the court after the verdict, Mr Bray said: “Today is a very important day, not just for us as protesters, but for everybody’s freedom of expression and their right to protest, regardless what side of the fence you’re on, whatever your protest is, this is a victory for you.”

Asked whether he will continue playing music to convey his message outside Parliament, the activist said he planned to “carry on as we are”.

“We’re not going to make any more noise. It’s going to be the same level,” he added.