British man known as the ‘Stop Brexit Man’ is cleared of charges for his musical demonstrations outside Parliament.

LONDON – Steve Bray, a prominent anti-Brexit campaigner, achieved a legal triumph on Monday in his ongoing solo demonstration outside the UK Parliament. The court ruled in his favor against a police attempt to halt his use of amplified music during his protest activities.

In London, a judge dismissed accusations against Bray, popularly referred to as “Stop Brexit Man,” for defying police directives to stop playing amplified music in Parliament Square on March 20, 2024.

The 56-year-old Bray gained recognition following the UK’s decision to exit the European Union in 2016. He made a name for himself by vocally expressing “Stop Brexit” in the vicinity of media crews during live coverage, all the while sporting a top hat mirroring the colors of the EU flag.

More recently he has taken to playing satirically tinged songs before Parliament’s weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session, including the theme from “The Muppet Show” and Darth Vader’s theme from “Star Wars.” He blasted “Things Can Only Get Better” outside 10 Downing St. while then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called an election in May 2024.

Bray, who represented himself during his trial, argued that the music was part of his “fundamental right to protest,” and Deputy District Judge Anthony Woodcock agreed.

Handing down a not-guilty verdict at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the judge said Bray believes he has “an important message to disseminate.”

“How he chooses to express those views is a matter for him,” the judge said, noting that “lampooning the government through satire is a long tradition in this country.”

After the verdict, Bray said that “today is a very important day, not just for us as protesters, but for everybody’s freedom of expression and their right to protest.”

“Regardless what side of the fence you’re on, whatever your protest is, this is a victory for you,” he said.