Protest outside British embassy in Brussels over parliament shutdown

Demonstrators chanted 'stop the coup'

Protesters have gathered outside the British embassy in Brussels to demonstrate against Boris Johnson's suspension of parliament.

Around 100 people, mostly UK nationals living in the city, chanted "Stop the coup" and held signs including "defend democracy" and "no Brexitation without representation".

Passing motorists sounded their horns in support, as Belgian police kept protesters at a distance from the building, which is just across the roundabout from the European Commission's headquarters.

"It's fundamentally an abuse of the constitution,' said Steve Bullock, a British national and long-term Brussels resident who attended the protest.

Addressing the situation of UK citizens living abroad in Europe, he said: "We were already disenfranchised. Those of us living abroad for more than 15 years had their vote taken away from them. The hope is that at least parliament as a body representing the rest of the UK could at least look out for our interests to some degree, because we've found that the government isn't really interested in looking out for our interest.

"The main reaction is shock and the realisation that they really will do anything. Lots of us have thought that and there's been lots of scepticism, people saying oh it'll be fine, it could never happen here. But of course it could easily happen here.

"The checks and balances that keep the constitution working working have turned out to be based on trust, and honesty, and probity, and when you don't have those things they simply fall away."

The protest took place on Friday afternoon. Asked about the protest, a UK government spokesperson said: “The decision to end the current parliamentary session - the longest in close to 400 years and in recent months one of the least active - will enable the Prime Minister to put a fresh domestic programme in front of MPs for debate and scrutiny.

“It will also ensure that there is good time before and after the European Council for Parliament to further consider Brexit issues.”

The protesters numbered about 100 people, mainly British nationals living in Brussels (Jon Stone)

Luisa Porritt, a Liberal Democrat MEP who attended the gathering told The Independent: "I think it's an absolute disgrace that Boris Johnson has shut down parliament at a time when MPs should be scrutinising the process, and it's completely illegitimate for him to take us out of the EU on any terms whatsoever risking damage to our country and not giving parliament a say. Parliament is sovereign in the UK.

"Clearly people feel strongly about it because just on our way walking here from the parliament ten minutes away people were stopping us and saying they support what we're doing, because we're wearing our stop Brexit t-shirts.

"The decision has been noticed by our colleagues," she added. "I think there's an almost universal acknowledgement that parliamentary democracy is one of the founding principles of the European Union and that this is the wrong way to go no matter how you feel about Brexit."

The demonstration follows a larger protest in Westminster earlier this week against the closure of parliament. Under the government’s plan parliament would be prorogued for 23 days until 14 October, just days before the UK is due to crash out without a deal. MPs cannot block prorogation.

A snap poll conducted by YouGov on Wednesday after the announcement found that the British public believe it is unacceptable for parliament to be suspended by 47 per cent to 27 per cent.