Media playback is unsupported in your gadget Media captionThe campaigner from Port Talbot - nicknamed Mr Cease
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A person who uprooted his life to protest towards Brexit has vowed to hold on protesting outdoors Parliament.
Steve Bray, from Port Talbot, has develop into referred to as “Mr Cease Brexit” for his divisive hollering in Westminster.
He mentioned he was ready for the “longest protest ever” and would “not surrender” till the UK rejoined the European Union.
Supporters of Brexit celebrated the second the UK left the EU with a party in Parliament Square on Friday.
Within the 2016 referendum, 52% of UK voters backed the Leave campaign.
However grandfather Mr Bray has protested outdoors Parliament each day MPs have sat since 5 September 2017 – and has develop into one thing of a vacationer attraction in his personal proper.
The 50-year-old has interrupted dwell broadcasts together with his shouts of “cease Brexit”, and gate-crashed interviews with placards.
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Mr Bray mentioned he had been assaulted, spat on, had flags burnt, and had demise threats throughout his time campaigning to stay
Whereas Mr Bray has scaled down his marketing campaign there isn’t a signal of him going away any time quickly.
“That is my first ever protest, I used to be by no means that political earlier than, however a lot is at stake,” he mentioned.
The self-employed uncommon coin seller has vowed to stay outdoors Parliament for so long as it takes for the UK to rejoin – however solely each Wednesday, when Prime Minister’s Questions is held.
“It’s not a query of if or when – we’ll be a part of the EU. It might be 10 years, it may take 50 years, it may flip into one of many longest protests ever.”
His interruption of Theresa Might’s farewell speech together with his “cease Brexit” cry led to her replying “I feel not”, whereas her substitute as Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed him to “put a sock in it”.
He offered some excessive worth cash to fund the marketing campaign and made merchandise to promote.
“I offered a few of my assortment, somewhat than go away them to the kids I believed I’d use it to go away them a greater future,” he mentioned.
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Police tried to cease Mr Bray taking part in anti-Brexit songs by way of an amplifier on the day MPs have been voting on Theresa Might’s withdrawal deal
A crowdfunding marketing campaign raised greater than £70,000 for him and different protesters to lease a flat close to Parliament.
They moved there after dwelling on the identical road as pro-Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg – who he mentioned he ran into “very often”.
Mr Bray mentioned a number of the hardest occasions have been throughout the Beast from the East in 2018, when he mentioned a member of the Home of Lords got here outdoors to offer him a coat.
“I have been spat at a number of occasions, assaulted a number of occasions, all very minor issues.
“It does take a toil, however the hatred drives me on greater than the assist,” he mentioned.
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Mr Bray mentioned he bumped in Jacob Rees-Mogg “very often” after they lived on the identical road
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Mr Bray has locked heads with pro-Brexit supporters outdoors the Homes of Parliament throughout his protest
In his residence county, Neath Port Talbot, 56.8% of individuals voted to go away throughout the ballot in June 2016.
Mr Bray stood within the Cynon Valley for the Liberal Democrats within the 2019 basic election, however solely secured 949 votes.
“Folks simply have totally different views,” he mentioned. “We’d like the federal government to know we aren’t giving up and never going away”.
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Mr Bray has recurrently interrupted dwell broadcasts with shouting and placards