A government car carrying the Prime Minister from Parliament to his office at Downing Street collided with a support vehicle Wednesday afternoon after a pro-Kurdish protester jumped in front of the convoy.
The convoy of police motorbike outriders, the Prime Minister’s silver Jaguar, an unmarked navy blue Range Rover ‘support vehicle’ — understood to be carrying Mr Johnson’s armed police escort — and a marked police Range Rover left the Palace of Westminster after Boris Johnson spoke in Parliament Wednesday afternoon. Mr Johnson was inside the car at the time.
As the convoy turned onto Parliament Square to proceed the short distance down Whitehall to the Prime Minister’s office Downing Street, a protester threw himself before the lead vehicle — a police motorbike — causing it to stop. The Prime Minister’s Jaguar immediately behind also stopped, but the unmarked police Range Rover behind appeared to be continuing to accelerate in video footage caught of the incident, and struck Boris Johnson’s car from behind.
There were no injuries.
Bois Johnson in car crash at Parliament. Just now. Security drives into back of his car as Kurdish protester runs into road. pic.twitter.com/k1kCplzyZ5
— Steve Bray #HoldThemToAccount (@snb19692) June 17, 2020
A protester from a pro-Kurdish demonstration is stopped and detained by police officers as he ran towards the car of Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson (2L) as it was leaving with a police escort from the Houses of Parliament in London on June 17, 2020. – The protester ran into the road towards the Jaguar that normally carries the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and was stopped by police. As the Jaguar stopped it was subsequently struck from behind by the next vehicle in the convoy resulting in a large dent. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The video, shared by veteran anti-Brexit protestor Steve Bray — best known for his years spent standing outside Parliament with a large megaphone screaming “Stop Brexit” — shows the convoy then move off again at speed seconds later once the protester had been detained by police. By the time the convoy had travelled down Whitehall, the marked police Range Rover bringing up the rear had advanced to the front of the column, possibly to clear the way in case of other obstructions.
The protester, reported to be a pro-Kurdish Rebels activist and who was protesting against the Turkish government was photographed being arrested by officers. As he was led away, a small band of other protesters who generally gather outside Parliament chanted “fascist state”, presumably in response to the police clearing a way for the Prime Minister’s car.
A pro-Kurdish protester who ran into the road toward the car of Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson as it was leaving the Houses of Parliament in London on June 17, 2020 is led away by police officers. – The protester ran into the road towards the Jaguar that normally carries the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and was stopped by police. As the Jaguar stopped it was subsequently struck from behind by the next vehicle in the convoy resulting in a large dent. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 17: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions on June 17, 2020 in London, England. Yesterday Boris Johnson announced the government would continue to provide free school meal vouchers to eligible children throughout the summer holidays, following a petition by Manchester United footballer, Marcus Rashford. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
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