London Mayoral candidate and lockdown sceptic Piers Corbyn was arrested by London police for campaigning against the draconian lockdown measures on Saturday.
The Metropolitan Police arrested the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Piers Corbyn, for supposedly breaching the national lockdown restrictions.
Corbyn, 73, has been arrested at least five times since the beginning of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, according to the Daily Mail.
Last month, the controversial campaigner was arrested for publishing leaflets that compared the UK’s coronavirus vaccine rollout to the Auschwitz concentration camp run by the Nazis in German-occupied Poland.
“The statement that vaccines are the path to freedom is false, as indeed was the Nazi claim that work is the path to freedom,” he told Sky News, adding: “It’s not offensive. What happened in the Holocaust was horrible and offensive — that isn’t really what this question is about.”
In January, the British meteorologist and physicist — who was hitherto known for his outspoken scepticism of man-made climate change — announced his intentions to run against incumbent Mayor Sadiq Khan on the platform of ending lockdowns.
Greg Hands, the Conservative MP and chairman of the mayoral campaign for Tory Shaun Bailey, described Mr Corbyn’s Saturday rally as “totally irresponsible”.
“Wasting police time [and] resources so he can create a publicity stunt for his conspiracy, anti-vax, COVID-denying campaign to be Mayor of London,” Hands wrote on social media.
Hands went on to publish a statement from the Hammersmith and Fulham police force, which read: “This afternoon anti lockdown protesters and musicians gathered in Bishops Park, SW6 around 1300 hours. Local officers engaged with the organisers, however, they refused to acknowledge our directions and continued to set up their instruments which gathered a significant crowd.
“Further units were requested before the organiser of the event was arrested. In total, 5 persons were arrested for their part in today’s protest. We will continue to robustly police any breaches of this nature and we thank the support of our partners and residents at this time.”
Mr Corbyn is at least the third London mayoral candidate to be confronted by police for attempting to campaign for the May 6th election. In January, candidate Brian Rose was fined by police for campaigning on what he termed as a “COVID safe” bus.
“With an unelected mayor currently heading up our city for the past year, including its police force, it is incredibly worrying that democracy is being eroded in this way, while the mayor’s own team continue to campaign,” Mr Rose said.
In December, the Heritage Party candidate for the mayoralty, London Assembly Member David Kurten, was filmed by Breitbart London being questioned by police for talking to supporters during another anti-lockdown demonstration.
“This is the beginning of fascism,” Kurten warned.
The government has also banned candidates in the upcoming elections from leafletting to promote their campaigns. This policy has been adopted by the local government in Wales, leading to police coming to the home of Neil McEvoy MS, who is challenging First Minister Mark Drakeford for his seat.
“When the police are banging on politicians’ doors late in the evening to ‘caution’ them against delivering election leaflets you know things have gone too far. I didn’t think this kind of thing could happen in Wales but I’m really concerned that our democracy is under threat,” McEvoy told Breitbart London.
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