Anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray has been acquitted of breaching a police order over his loudspeaker protest outside Parliament last year. The 56-year-old activist, known for his high-profile demonstrations, was found not guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The case stemmed from a March 2023 incident where Bray played edited versions of the Muppets and Star Wars’ Darth Vader theme a regular tactic he used when former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared in Parliament. Police had confiscated his speakers under a by-law banning amplified sound in Parliament Square, but Deputy District Judge Anthony Woodcock ruled Bray’s actions constituted lawful protest.
“This is a victory for everybody’s freedom of expression,” Bray declared outside court, vowing to continue his protests. Known for playing D:Ream’s “Things Can Only Get Better” during key political moments, the Port Talbot activist argued the volume was necessary to be heard from Parliament Street to the Palace of Westminster.
While some nearby workers had complained about noise levels reaching upper floors of adjacent buildings for which Bray previously apologized the judge accepted his right to protest. The decision comes after Bray’s years-long presence as a fixture of Westminster demonstrations, where his theatrical tactics have become a familiar part of the political landscape.
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