U.K. shadow chancellor accuses Boris Johnson of being a dictator

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 31 August 2019

The United Kingdom has apparently not taken too kindly to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have thronged streets throughout the U.K, including right outside the gates of Downing Street to protest Johnson's move. People in the crowds reportedly carried banners promising to "defend democracy," waved European Union flags, and chanted "stop the coup."

Critics have accused Johnson of suspending parliament as a way to prevent MPs from trying to find a way to block a no-deal Brexit before the Oct. 31 deadline. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, a Labour MP, spoke at one of the rallies and labeled Johnson a dictator. "We have defeated dictators in the past in our history and we will defeat this dictator under Johnson," McDonnell said. McDonnell and Diane Abbot, the shadow home secretary, both addressed Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn's absence from the rally, ensuring the crowd that he fully supported the demonstrations.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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