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Thousands’ expected at UK protests

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Anti-Brexit campaign group Another Europe Is Possible has organised 32 ‘#StopTheCoup’ demonstrations to take place in England, Scotland and Wales throughout Saturday. Meanwhile, left-wing group Momentum is calling on its members to “occupy bridges and blockade roads” in conjunction with the protests.

Michael Chessum, national organiser for Another Europe Is Possible, told the PA news agency that “disruption is the only form of leverage protesters can rely on”. He said that, while the group is not encouraging demonstrators to block roads, that kind of disruption is “certainly possible”.

“We would go further than anticipate (civil disobedience),” Mr Chessum said. “We would defend it.” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged MPs to join the demonstrations and oppose the shutdown of Parliament.

In a letter to the Parliamentary Labour Party, Mr Corbyn said: “I am addressing a major rally in Salford on Monday. But there are also public protests across the country this Saturday, there will be a rally in Parliament Square on Tuesday evening, and I encourage Labour MPs to be present and to share our message.” Labour MP Clive Lewis has also called for people to support the #StopTheCoup protests.

In a Twitter post, in which he shared a link to the protest’s online crowdfunding page, Mr Lewis said: “Pls click & support and help us defend OUR democracy.”

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.

The calls for protests come as a petition against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to suspend Parliament racked up more than 1.5 million signatures as of Friday morning. It also follows multiple protests in London, Edinburgh and other cities on Wednesday, which took place within hours of Mr Johnson announcing his plans.

Mr Chessum said he expects to see “hundreds of thousands” of people taking part in the demonstrations across the UK on Saturday, with the protest in London being the largest.

He said: “Ultimately we are not going to persuade Boris Johnson to change his mind through some intellectual exercise. “This process needs to force the Government to change its course.” The main London protest is due to take place outside Downing Street from midday on Saturday.

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