Coronavirus: Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers fined £10,000 over anti-lockdown protest
Piers Corbyn tells Sky News he plans to take legal action after receiving the fine under new COVID-19 laws.
Monday 31 August 2020 13:37, UK
Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers has been fined £10,000 under new coronavirus laws for his role in an anti-lockdown protest.
The older sibling of the former Labour leader told Sky News he plans to take legal action after being one of the first people to receive the heavy fine for allegedly organising the gathering.
Hundreds of protesters, some of whom displayed anti-mask and anti-vaccination placards, had gathered in Trafalgar Square in London on Saturday afternoon.
"I'm not going to pay, my solicitor has written a statement rebutting the claims", Mr Corbyn told Sky's political correspondent Rob Powell.
"The arrest of me is completely unjustified.
"The demonstration had gone smoothly and the police were guiding us down Whitehall when another group of officers turned up and frogmarched me off."
Mr Corbyn, a 73-year-old climate change denier, claimed organisers had been in contact with police for two weeks about the anti-lockdown protest.
The Metropolitan Police said a 73-year-old man was arrested in Trafalgar Square on Saturday on suspicion of breaking the new Health Protection Regulations 2020.
He was informed on Sunday that a fixed penalty notice would be issued for £10,000 for the offence of holding a gathering of more than 30 people in an outdoor place, according to the force.
Mr Corbyn was one of at least 11 people fined £10,000 this weekend for allegedly organising illegal gatherings.
The fines are the first to be handed out since new rules came into force in England on Friday ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
Two organisers of an illegal rave attended by around 3,000 people in the village of Banwen were given fixed penalty notices for £10,000, South Wales Police said.
West Yorkshire Police said it had issued the penalties to eight people after officers attended several parties on Saturday evening and into the early hours of Sunday morning.
Four people were each fined £10,000 for their roles in organising a party in Headingley, while a man was fined £10,000 over another house party in the Leeds suburb.
Officers also broke up a party in Burley, with two DJs at the event each fined £10,000 and their equipment seized.
A music event at Beaver Works in Leeds was also closed down on Sunday following reports it was in breach of coronavirus restrictions.
The Metropolitan Police said it is considering issuing £10,000 fines for four people over an unlicensed music event in Hackney Wick, east London.
The force said it was seeking to identify other illegal rave organisers after 58 unlicensed music events were reported on Saturday, with officers shutting down 21 of those.
South Wales Police branded the illegal rave in Banwen "totally unacceptable" and said 1,000 people remained at the site on Sunday evening.
Pictures on social media showed dozens of people dancing at the outdoor event in Neath Port Talbot, which had a stage and large sound system, with people dressed in hi-viz jackets appearing to act as marshals.
One resident told Wales Online he felt like a "prisoner" in his own home and people could be seen sleeping on benches in the village early on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, Sheryl Lee Powell said she called police after seeing at least 50 cars arriving at the scene.
"They were going up and down the street," she said.
Police in Norfolk were also forced to shut down an unlicensed music event attended by more than 500 people.
Several arrests were made and sound equipment was seized following the illegal rave in Thetford Forest near to the English Heritage site Grime's Graves.
The event started late on Saturday and ended on Sunday evening, with Norfolk Police saying bottles and cans were thrown at officers as they entered the site.
Assistant Chief Constable Nick Davison said: "It's extremely disappointing to see these types of events taking place when coronavirus continues to be a real threat to our communities.
"We're working to identify the organisers and will do everything within our power, where evidence is available, to prosecute and bring them to justice."
West Yorkshire Police said one man was charged with causing a public nuisance after officers broke up a street party in Harehills on Saturday, while five people at the party were fined.
The force also seized about £20,000 of music equipment from a property in the Chapeltown area of Leeds ahead of a suspected unlicensed music event.
Essex Police said they had seized thousands of pounds of equipment before an unlicensed music event due to have taken place in Harlow on Saturday afternoon and are looking to take the organisers to court.
The illegal gatherings took place despite the new rules coming into force on Friday for England, prompted by more than 1,000 unlicensed events since the end of June.
Anyone in England in breach of the rules could be fined £10,000, while at least £100 fines will be handed out to people not wearing masks or attending unlawful gatherings, with repeat offenders having fines doubled to a maximum of £3,200.
The Welsh government's restrictions allow for up to 30 people to meet outdoors.