Anti-Brexit campaign group Another Europe Is Possible has planned 32 #StopTheCoup protests to take place in England, Scotland and Wales. Labour’s hard-left group Momentum is calling on its members to “occupy bridges and blockade roads” in conjunction with unrest on the streets. Mr Corbyn said he wanted to “applaud” those taking part in the protests today.
He said: “We are in a political and constitutional crisis because of the failure of Boris Johnson’s Tories.
“And that current crisis must concern everyone whether you voted Leave or Remain.
“Because whatever happens, with Boris Johnson as Tory Prime Minister, this is a government of the establishment and the super-rich which threatens our jobs and threatens our economy and puts communities at risk.
“Labour is working with other parties to stop a damaging No Deal. Because a No Deal Brexit is really a Trump deal Brexit. One that threatens our rights, our protections, and our standards.”
Jeremy Corbyn applauded people protesting today (Image: GETTY)
Mr Corbyn is spending the day in Glasgow (Image: GETTY)
Mr Corbyn also claimed a no deal Brexit is opposed by most of the electorate in the UK and so it has no mandate
He said: “We believe if Johnson had confidence in his plans, he would put them to the people in a General Election or public vote.
“We are now in a situation where he won’t put them to Parliament, and he won’t put them to the people either.
“Whichever way people voted, to Leave or Remain, no-one voted for Boris Johnson and his Conservative government’s anti-democratic approach to Brexit.
“That’s why we need to stop No Deal, and make sure there is a General Election.”
Thousands of people are expected to take to the streets today (Image: GETTY)
Meanwhile, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has urged Labour MPs to join the nationwide protest today, calling the Prime Minister’s decision to close Parliament for up to five weeks an attempt “to shut down democracy”.
He said: “As elected Labour MPs across the country represent their constituents by joining in these protests, I urge other MPs to think of their constituents whose jobs and livelihoods will be put at risk in a no-deal Brexit.
“If Boris Johnson wants a mandate, then he should call a general election and put it to the people.”
The shadow chancellor is due to address youth movements at the main London protest at Downing Street on Saturday.
The streets of London are filled with activists today (Image: GETTY)
People got creative with their banners for the protests (Image: GETTY)
Other demonstrations will be held in cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Swansea, Leeds, Belfast, Bristol and Aberdeen.
There will be rallies in smaller places including Bodmin, Cornwall, and Clotheroe, Lancashire, as well as Amsterdam’s Dam Square and the outside the British Embassy in Riga, Latvia.
Further mass demonstrations, organised by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, are planned to take place on Tuesday to coincide with MPs returning to Westminster.
And the annual Westminster Dog of the Year competition, due to take place on Thursday, has been cancelled over safety concerns of the dogs and MPs taking part.
MPs will return to Parliament on Tuesday (Image: EXPRESS)
Both pro and anti-Brexit protesters clashed on Wednesday after the Queen approved an order that will see Parliament suspended for more than one month.
Laura Parker, Momentum’s national co-ordinator, called the proroguing of Parliament a “loophole in our flawed democracy”.
She said: ”There are thousands of people from all over the UK and across the political spectrum who will protest to stop Johnson closing the doors on our democracy.
“No-one voted for this, and it’s clear we need to urgently redesign our system to rebalance power away from the top.”
People even protested in Germany today over Parliament being suspended (Image: REUTERS)
The Jo Cox Foundation, which was set up in the wake of the Labour MP’s murder in 2016, warned that anger over Brexit “should not spill over into something more dangerous”.
The foundation said: “We believe strongly in freedom of speech. But we would urge everybody to avoid saying or doing anything that could incite or lead to violence.”
The calls for protests come as a petition against the Prime Minister’s plan to suspend Parliament racked up more than 1.64 million signatures early on Saturday morning.
Chancellor Sajid Javid supported Mr Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament, even though he said during the Tory leadership campaign that he thought proroguing Parliament was a bad idea.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is quite usual this time of year, Parliament goes into what’s called a conference recess and it doesn’t usually sit for some time in September and early October.
“It’s right because we are focusing on the people’s priorities.”
