A UK-based protest group introduced themselves to the public this afternoon by aggressively handling Keir Starmer during an address to the Labour conference.
A protester disrupted Starmer’s keynote speech at the conference in Liverpool shouting “True democracy is citizen-led”.
They took what they describe as "proportionate action" after a man stormed the stage and poured glitter over Starmer.
The man shouted “Politics needs an update”, “we demand a people’s house”, “we are in crisis” and “our whole future is in jeopardy” as he was wrestled to the ground.
The group only had 66 followers on X this afternoon but now that number is rising since the stunt. They posted on the platform: "We are People Demand Democracy.
"We demand a fair proportional voting system and a permanent legally-binding national House of Citizens, selected by democratic lottery to tackle the major crises facing the UK: inequality, corrupt politics, climate and so on. #LabourConference23".
We are People Demand Democracy. We demand a fair proportional voting system and a permanent legally-binding national House of Citizens, selected by democratic lottery to tackle the major crises facing the UK: inequality, corrupt politics, climate and so on.#LabourConference23 pic.twitter.com/HPO4gQgAJa
— People Demand Democracy (@peopledemanddem) October 10, 2023
On September 4, the group called on both prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Starmer to hold "new national elections with a proportional voting system and set up a House of Citizens within six months of getting into office".
If neither responded, they promised: "If you do not do so by September 30, People Demand Democracy will take proportionate action to get our message across to you and the Labour Party leadership.
"We are left with no other choice but to take a stand for what’s right and take back our power as citizens."
'If he thinks that bothers me he doesn’t know me'
After being interrupted by the heckler, Starmer opened his speech at the Labour Party conference by saying: “If he thinks that bothers me he doesn’t know me. Protest or power, that is why we changed our party, conference.”
And he went on to joke it was just as well it was him, because “my wife’s dress is really beautiful".
Sky News reported that a police vehicle was brought to the conference hall exit after Starmer's speech was interrupted.
Questions have since been raised about the "pretty serious security failure" and how a protestor managed to gain access to the leader of the opposition.
