British people protest against the Prime Minister
Thousands of people gathered outside Downing Street in London to protest Boris Johnson's decision to suspend parliament.
"I absolutely hate what's happening," said protester Maya Dunn, 66, who said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has "trampled on everyone" and is "completely untrustworthy".
Organisers said 100,000 people took to the streets of London. Demonstrations also took place in about 10 other cities, including Exeter, Oxford, Manchester, York and Newcastle. Participants waved pro-democracy banners, EU flags, beat drums and whistles, and shouted slogans criticising Johnson.
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Protesters in Glasgow on August 31. Photo:AFP. |
The British Prime Minister suspended Parliament from mid-September until October 14. Normally, the autumn session of the British Parliament begins on September 14 and runs until October 2. However, Johnson's move pushed the date back, leaving MPs with just two weeks to pass any legislation to prevent Britain from leaving the EU (commonly known as Brexit) on the October 31 deadline.
Johnson wants Britain to leave the EU on the last day of October with or without a deal. Johnson’s opponents argue that his policy could see Britain leave the EU without a deal that would clearly define aspects of the UK-EU relationship after Brexit, such as trade deals and the rights of British citizens in the EU. This risks dividing the country, crippling agriculture and some manufacturing sectors, and plunging the UK economy into recession.
Johnson's opponents are expected to take his decision to court to block his move. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has threatened to hold a vote of no confidence in Johnson. Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister has said that attempts to block or delay Brexit would erode people's faith in politics.
Britain's Brexit negotiators will meet their EU counterparts twice a week throughout September. Johnson said he wanted to "speed up" the talks so the two sides could reach a compromise.
