Stop-Brexit man has speaker seized in struggle with police

Anti-Brexit protesters have had their speaker seized outside of the Houses of Parliament for breaking disturbance rules, footage has shown. Steve Bray, who has been campaigning against the Conservative Government around Westminster since the Brexit referendum, was caught in a struggle with the police as they sought to unplug and seize his speaker. Mr Bray alleged that the police seized his amplifier after a complaint was lodged against him by the Cabinet Office. Standing alongside several other protesters, the group were singing to music blaring from the soundsystem when police officers turned up and attempted to confiscate the equipment. The group were holding signs calling for a general election, with pictures of the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plastered across their placards. In the footage, a police officer is seen approaching Mr Bray and telling him: ‘I am taking your speaker.’The protester then refuses to give up his equipment, standing in front of the sound system saying: ‘No, you are not taking it.’ As a second officer attempts to grab the speaker, the first officer says, ‘Don’t push against me,’ and the pair begin to struggle against one another. The police officers then attempt to pull the lead out of the sound system to put a stop to the music as another protester attempts to film.  Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray is locked in a struggle with the police (Image: STEVE BRAY TWITTER )Police just seized amplifier from us again. They said they had a complaint from the Cabinet Office…. F’king fuming!!!!! pic.twitter.com/AtcCtuDnEy- Steve Bray Activist Against Brexit +Corrupt Tories (@snb19692) October 26, 2022 The police officer urges one of the protesters to refrain from ‘obstructing’ them as they try to remove the sound system, to which the protesters accuse the police of ‘pushing’ them. As one officer successfully pulls the plug from the speaker, another officer says: ‘This is a warning.’ As he is accosted by other protesters, he adds: ‘We do not make the law.’The police then attempt to confiscate a second speaker while the protesters insist that it is ‘not on’. One officer, ushering to the second sound system, warns: ‘If that goes on, we’ll take it as well.’Alongside a video of the struggle, Mr Bray said in a caption: ‘Police just seized amplifier from us again. They said they had a complaint from the Cabinet Office…. F***ing fuming!!!!!’READ MORE: Anti-Brexit activist Steve Bray in furious clash [REPORT]  Officers attempt to pull the plug on the speaker as a protester films (Image: TWITTER ) Police officers consfiscated the speaker in accordance with new rules on noise disturbances (Image: TWITTER )Britons have been torn over the footage, with some suggesting that Mr Bray was rightfully approached for ‘playing music without a licence’, while others insinuated the police were wasting their time. One user on Twitter wrote: ‘Good, how can he get away with playing music without a licence??’Another wrote: ‘[It is] time police removed the parasites from the roadside area disturbing the peace.’ But others were less understanding, with one Briton writing: ‘How about going and finding real criminals.’ Another suggested the police should be prioritising tackling other protests, such as Just Stop Oil. They wrote: ‘Shame they couldn’t be bothered to sort out the just stop oil fools… easier to pick on the single protester.’ DON’T MISS: Police seize Brexit Man’s speaker under new protests law [REVEAL] Brexit-bashing Westminster activist vows to ignore new protest rules  [REPORT] Tory MP demands Brexit-bashing loudmouth protester be silenced [REVEAL]  Steve Bray is warned by police that a second speaker will be taken if it is switched on (Image: TWITTER )The police were acting in accordance with the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (the Policing Act), which came into effect in April 2022. Most of the public order provisions in the Act, which affect the right to protest, came into force on 28 June 2022.Under the new laws, police have the power to put a stop to a protest if they believe it is noisy enough to result in ‘serious disruption’ to the activities of an organisation in the area. Additionally, they may seize equipment or arrest activists if they think the noise generated may have a significant impact by causing harassment, intimidation, alarm or distress to people in the area.READ NEXT: Brussels capitulating on Brexit and says it is ready to be ‘flexible”Country has grown weary of Tory infighting – it stops or they die’Should UK renegotiate Brexit to save ‘doomed’ economy? POLLSunak Skewers SNP in first PMQs as he demands party respect BrexitBaroness blasts ‘unelected’ Lords over coup to block hated Brexit bill