Piers Corbyn was among around 40 protesters gathered in Glastonbury (Picture: Glastonbury Standing in Defiance)

Police broke up an anti-lockdown protest led by Jeremy Corbyn’s brother after some of those attending failed to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Piers Corbyn, 73, was among 30 to 40 protesters gathered in Glastonbury, Somerset, on Saturday afternoon for a ‘peaceful’ demonstration against the Government’s restriction measures.

Avon and Somerset Police said its officers attended Market Square where they engaged those present and ‘explained the need to adhere to the current guidelines’ before ‘the group subsequently dispersed’.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Corbyn said the lockdown ‘is achieving the opposite of what it was intended’ to. The former Labour leader’s brother said the group was aiming to ‘end the lockdown to get the NHS back to doing its job of helping the most vulnerable people who are locked up in care homes or staying at home going mad’.


The group was protesting against the Government’s lockdown measures (Picture: Glastonbury Standing in Defiance)

Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live

Police broke up the gathering after some attendees failed to adhere to social distancing guidelines (Picture: Glastonbury Standing in Defiance)

Superintendent Andy Bennett said: ‘We attended a small protest in the centre of Glastonbury this afternoon.



‘Approximately 30 to 40 people turned up and the event was peaceful in nature.

‘Officers attended Market Place and engaged with the individuals concerned and explained the need to adhere to the current guidelines and the group subsequently dispersed.

‘We are pleased the overwhelming majority of people are complying with the current guidelines around staying at home and social distancing.

‘We continue to encourage people to follow this message to help protect our NHS and save lives.’

Imposing the lockdown back on March 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered that people should only leave their homes for ‘very limited purposes’, such as to buy medicines or take one form of daily exercise.

Public gatherings of anyone not from the same household were banned, non-essential shops were closed and social events were cancelled.

The police were also given powers to enforce the new measures – ‘including through fines and dispersing gatherings’.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.