Caroline Russell
Image credit: Creative Commons: Joe Dunckley

Green Party politician and member of the London Assembly Caroline Russell was arrested today. The arrest took place at the London demonstration against Boris Johnson’s prorogation of parliament in Trafalgar Square. Russell was among a number of protesters arrested after refusing to leave a road, having been asked to do so by police.

Russell’s arrest was caught on camera by Guardian reporter Simon Murphy:

 

Speaking on the arrest, Russell’s London Assembly colleague and co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Sian Berry said:

Earlier today, I was speaking at the main rally of the Defend Our Democracy protest. I said then that we were calmly determined not to have our rights chipped away. Protest, and direct action were needed, I said then.

I’m proud that Caroline has been at the forefront, with others, of showing that determination.

History tells us that all the rights we have we had to win. No one has ever handed them to us. 

And Caroline and the others on the streets in London today were defending those hard-won rights that are now under attack from Boris Johnson.

We, the people, will come back on the streets again and again in the coming weeks of national crisis to defend our MPs and win our final say. 

We will keep saying to Boris Johnson, to Jacob Rees-Mogg, to Dominic Raab – your actions do not represent us

If you abuse power, we the people will make sure you won’t be in power much longer.